MANUAL 
FOR TRAINING 
WORSHIP 



IN 



HUGH HA 





ftass i-V ITT 

Book L_ 

Copyright^? 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT; 



MANUAL FOR 
TRAINING IN WORSHIP 



By 
HUGH HARTSHORNE, B.D., Ph.D. 

Author of "Worship in the Sunday School" 

Assistant Professor of Religious Education in The Union Theological Seminary, and 

Principal of the Union School of Religion 



NEW YORK 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 






Copyright, 1915, by 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 




CU416965 



PREFACE 

For ten or fifteen years, interest in children's worship has been steadily 
increasing. Pastors have more commonly introduced children's story 
sermons into the morning worship. Young people's societies have tried 
to find means for the adequate expression of the religious life of youth. 
They have prepared special collections of hymns to be used for this pur- 
pose. Denominational boards have also been printing Sunday-school 
hymnals, and in these increasing attention is being paid to orders of 
worship, to selections of Scripture, and to unison prayers. Individual 
church schools have been trying to transform their " opening exercises" 
into services of worship for children, and have developed special pro- 
grams for their own use. For some years the Union School of Religion 
has been carrying on a scientific study of children's worship. The Re- 
ligious Education Association has for three years had a Commission on 
Worship which has been working at the problem in various ways; Nu- 
merous articles have appeared in Religious Education and other maga- 
zines dealing with the words and tunes of hymns, the use of music, and 
similar subjects. 

Out of this accumulating body of experience comes The Book of Wor- 
ship of the Church School. It is an attempt to provide, for training 
children to worship, material and methods that reflect the foremost 
religious and educational consciousness of the day. The selection of the 
items is made primarily according to standards of religious education — ■ 
not standards of historical completeness, nor mature systems of theology, 
nor Sunday-school custom. The one great purpose underlying the book 
is that of training children in the intelligent appreciation and use of com- 
mon worship, both for their own sakes and for the sake of the Church of 
Christ whose work and worship they are to carry on. 

The Book of Worship includes a set of Scripture passages for unison 
or responsive use; a set of prayers (with spaces for the addition of 
others) for common use; a set of hymns, representing the best that exist- 



iv PREFACE 

and chosen because of their appropriateness to the religious life of 
children and youth. Many great hymns are not included, simply be- 
cause they cannot be regarded as the best spiritual food for children. 

The material to be used by the children is bound separately in 
The Book of Worship. The Manual for Training in Worship provides 
the material which the leaders need for the conduct of worship, such 
as orders of service, prayers, stories, benedictions, sentences, bibliogra- 
phies of stories and sources for stories, lists of appropriate scripture 
passages, organ selections and choir anthems. 

Recognizing that the person who has to lead the children in wor- 
ship has not usually had special training for this work, the book de- 
scribes in detail the practical ways by which the modern principles of 
children's worship can readily be put into practise by any intelligent 
man or woman. 

There is thus brought within reach of every school, no matter how 
small or how large, whether well or ill equipped, the means for the 
adequate training of the children of the church in the highest of all 
human acts — the worship of God. 

Acknowledgments of copyright privilege appear in the text and in 
the Preface of The Book of Worship. Many thanks are due to the 
Reverend George Harris, D.D., for the use of certain prayers appear- 
ing in Evening Worship, and to others, also, who have generously 
allowed the printing of stories or prayers written or owned by them. 

H. H. 

New York, November, 191 5. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Preface iii 

SECTION 

I. Worship and Character i 

II. The Purpose of Worship in the Church School .... 3 

III. Analysis of Christian Attitudes 5 

IV. Making a Place for Worship 10 

V. How to Plan the Service of Worship 13 

1. Series of Services 

2. The Single Service 

3. Grading in Worship 

VI. How to Conduct the Service 18 

VII. Music . . 20 

Also Bibliographies of : 
Choir Anthems 
Organ Selections 

VIII. The Use of Scripture 23 

Also a List of Selections 

IX. Stories, Talks, and Prayers — How to Use Them .... 25 

X. Bibliographies of Stories, Sources, and Prayers .... 28 
I Classified List of Stories 
II Alphabetical List of Sources 
III Books of Prayers 

XL Stories, Talks, and Prayers for Use in the Service . . . 33 
For Index, see preceding section. 

XII. Orders of Service 126 

v 



vi CONTENTS 

SECTION PAGE 

XIII. Sentences 145 

Calls to Worship 
Offertory 

XIV. Prayers and Collects 147 

The Beginning of Worship 

Special Prayers 

The Close of Worship 

XV. Benedictions 153 



MANUAL 

FOR 

TRAINING IN WORSHIP 



WORSHIP AND CHARACTER 

True worship arises out of and satisfies certain universal human 
needs. Some of these are the need for an ideal companionship, the need 
for moral reinforcement, the need for inner harmony or peace, the need 
for forgiveness and moral recovery, the need for moral leadership, the 
desire for the preservation of all values. 

All these needs could be summed up as the need for the organiza- 
tion of the will. In worship the individual will meets and recognizes 
the Universal Will and seeks to become identified with it. The result 
is the ordering of life's purposes and ideals around some supreme pur- 
pose, which one takes to be the will of God. 

The great problem in the formation of character is not how to culti- 
vate certain specific qualities, such as courage, nor certain specific habits, 
such as honesty, but how to make all one's acts and attitudes the ex- 
pression of some self-chosen purpose to which all else in life is subor- 
dinate. The essence of character is the organization of purposes and 
plans. 

It is only a step from morality to religion. The religious life is the 
one that seeks such organization. The level of religious attainment is 
measured both by the degree of organization and by the quality of the 
ideals and purposes that control the life. The Christian character is 
the one that is organized consciously around the will of the Christian 
God. In fellowship with the Father, the Christian finds the renewal, 

1 



2 WORSHIP AND CHARACTER 

the reinforcement, the forgiveness, the leadership, the permanence ; in a 
word, the ideal companionship that is essential for the achievement of 
the social ideals of Jesus Christ. 

Christian worship is fundamental to Christian character. 



II 

THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP IN THE 
CHURCH SCHOOL 

The days are not long since passed when the purpose of the church 
school could be summed up as "To teach the Bible." The develop- 
ment of Christian character, with all that this implies both of com- 
munion with God and of the service of men, is now regarded as the work 
of the church school. So recent is this conception of what the Sunday 
school is supposed to do that its methods have as yet been only partially 
reorganized. The lessons are gradually being prepared as the means 
by which the child is to interpret his daily experience and solve his 
daily problems on the Christian basis. The friendly interests of chil- 
dren are beginning to find expression and discipline in " graded social 
service," through which the Christian ways of life become habitual. 
In these ways we cultivate intelligence and skill. But are these means 
adequate for the cultivation of motive and purpose and will? Some- 
where in our scheme of religious education provision must be made for 
the worship type of experience, through which the details of instruction 
and training shall be harmonized in the unity of the Christian purpose. 

But children have to be taught how to worship, just as they have 
to be taught how to be courteous; and just as courtesy requires practise 
as well as rules, so worship can be learned only by worshipping. A pro- 
gram of worship is just as essential to a Christian school of religion as 
is the " study of the lesson" — perhaps more so. 

The first thing to be done in Sunday-school worship, then, is to train 
the children in the experience of worship — in the experience of com- 
munion with God, in which their minds are occupied with ideas, atti- 
tudes, and purposes that are significant of filial relationship to Him. 
So only can their impulsive lives attain the unity and force and self- 
control which they long for and which we so much desire for them. 

3 



4 PURPOSE OF WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH SCHOOL 

As soon as we begin to define the Christian ideals in terms of which 
we wish the lives of the children to be organized, we find ourselves in 
the realm of ideal family relationships — fatherhood, sonship, brother- 
hood. Faith, hope, and love, loyalty and gratitude and reverence, 
these are the fundamental Christian attitudes that characterize ideal 
family relationships and that constitute the abiding values of life. 

It is important, therefore, to understand what is meant by these 
terms. 



Ill 

ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES* 

Gratitude 

Gratitude is the tender and joyous emotional response that usually 
manifests itself in the impulse to repay a kindness. There is the feel- 
ing, that is, of obligation, the consciousness that the kindness has cost 
someone something, or, at least, as Shandf says, is an indication that 
the benefactor is willing to sacrifice himself for your sake. Schematic- 
ally it could be analyzed as follows: 



THE THINGS OR SITUATIONS WHICH SHOULD CALL OUT THE 
RESPONSE OF GRATITUDE 



Real situations, 

present and personal: 

Gifts, services, and the general 
present situation of home, school, 
food, etc. 



Ideal situations, 

personal or vicarious, imaginary or 
recalled : 

Description or recall of, or reference 
to gifts, services, or the general situa- 
tion of home, school, and so on. 

Stories 

Pictures 

Etc. 



THE REACTION OF GRATITUDE 



Direct : 



The attitude of gratitude, inclu- 
sive of : 
Joy 

Tenderness 
The impulse to repay 
(Feeling of obligation) 
Expressed by postures, spontane- 
ous acts, and exclamations 



Indirect : 

The idea of gratitude. 
The attitude formulated 



Expressed by words or by deliberate 
acts 



* Quoted from the writer's Worship in the Sunday School, pp. 51-58. 
t Cf . Shand, chap. XVI in Stout's Groundwork of Psychology. 

5 



ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES 



Goodwill 

Goodwill, or Love, is here regarded as a more perfectly social reaction 
than gratitude. No favors or gifts are preliminary to it, but only the 
fact of social relation, calling for a sharing of interest. In its most 
generalized form, goodwill might be thought of as the 

Universal , f Sympathy and . j, ., .. 1 . , 
n ' of < T /. i,. to the Situation ) Society. 

Response { Kindliness J J 

Thinking of person No. 2 as the one who has the attitude of good- 
will, and of No. 1 as the person toward whom he feels it, we have the 
varying conditions of No. 1 as the " situations" to which No. 2 makes 
response. 



CONDITION OF 


SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE 


PERSON NO. 1 


OF PERSON NO. 2 


Good fortune 


Feelings of : 

BtC. ^ 


Happiness, Joy, i 


111 fortune 
Sorrow 
Bitterness, etc. 


Pity 

Sorrow 


Wrongdoing 
111 will, etc. 


Sorrow 
Pity 




Forgiveness 


FORMS 


OF CONTROLLED EXPRESSION 




Cheerful Demeanor 




Kind Acts 




Helpful Acts 
Courtesy, Respect 
Generous Conduct 




Hospitable Behavior 
Forgiving all Offenders 



Reverence 

As the spirit of worship or reverence is supposed to be present in 
the service anyway, it may be asked why it is made a special theme. 
The answer is that it is so central to the religious attitude as a whole 



ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES 



that it needs a more distinct emphasis than can be given it in every 
service, in order that its practise and forms may be brought to the 
level of conscious purpose. The religious state of mind may be thought 
of as having two poles, Reverence and Faith. The current of the re- 
ligious life flows steadily from one to the other, passing out from the 
positive pole of faith into the circuit of contact with the world, and 
back again to the negative pole of reverence, from which, through the 
solution of the experience of worship, it moves on again to faith. That 
some such rhythm exists is a necessary consequence of the conscious- 
ness of the self that is, as it appears in contrast with the self that is to 
be, or with the ideal self. It is an accompaniment of the consciousness 
of value. The value desired is felt in contrast with the value already 
attained, and then the value desired is grasped for with a vigorous out- 
reach and expansion of self. The first state of mind is that of rever- 
ence and the second is that of faith. An analysis of reverence follows: 





Authority 








Age 




Awe 




Superiority 




Fear 




Greatness 




Wonder 


SITUATION 


Goodness 


SUBJECTIVE 


Admiration 


TO WHICH 


Heroism 


RESPONSE. 


Tender Feeling 


RESPONSE 


Wisdom 


FEELINGS ' 


Submission 


IS MADE 


Law (Social 


OE 


Respect 




Control) 




Dependence 




Mystery 




Love 




The idea of the 




Penitence, Regret 




presence of God 






Acts of Respect 






Obedience 




OVERT 

• 


Worship 
Praise 




RESPONSE 


Communion 
Repentance, New Resolves 






(Reparation) 





Faith 

The significance of the faith attitude in religion has already been 
suggested. Beginning sometimes with surrender to God and absolute 
reliance on Him, faith passes on into the realization of one's own pos- 



8 ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES 

sible contribution to the purpose of God. As such it is necessarily self- 
assertive in the highest sense. It is the demand for life and oppor- 
tunity; the assertion that the highest values are ultimately necessary 
to the self, and that what is needed will therefore be found or created. 
It is the spirit of confidence and hope which lies back of creative effort. 
It anticipates experience; its reference is future. It lives in the fu- 
ture as memory lives in the past. Yet it lives also in the present, for 
its genius is to transform possibility — nay, even " impossibility " — into 
present and vivid fact. Ultimately faith refers to persons, though 
proximately it may refer to causes or ideals. It is a conviction con- 
cerning the goodness or capacity of someone. Among the objects of 
faith are persons actively engaged in a cause or believed to be capable 
of growth or achievement. Hence there is faith in self, in friends, in 
human nature, in God — all thought of as ultimately going to succeed 
in some undertaking. 

This, too, is an aspect of the valuation process. As religion is the 
revaluation of all values in terms of a completely realized self, so faith 
is the mood or state of mind in which this achievement of new values 
for the self and the conservation of old values for the self is won. 

Faith has so many factors that it is difficult to classify them or list 
them, but the following may be suggestive: 



THE OBJECT 
OR SITUATION 
TO WHICH 
RESPONSE 
IS MADE 



God 
Persons 

(Human Nature) 
Self 
Natural Law 

The Order of 
Events 
Ideals 
Principles 
Worthy Causes 



THE 

RESPONSE 
IN 
FEELING 



THE RESPONSE 
IN ACT 



Self-Control 
Cheerful Endurance 
Confident and 
Joyous Activity 

in the Direction 

of an Ideal 



Hope 
Assurance 

Joy 

Freedom 
Aspiration 
Confidence 
Trust 



ANALYSIS OF CHRISTIAN ATTITUDES 



Loyalty 

Loyalty involves an extension of the self-feeling. The interest in 
the self is identified with the interests of the person, group, institution, 
or cause toward which one is loyal. The sense of ownership, of per- 
sonal possession, is strong. The loyal individual feels that the cause 
is his cause, the team his team, and that all that touches this touches 
him. Loyalty involves also self-surrender. There is a giving up of 
the self to the object of loyalty. The self is invested in the cause or 
institution. The feeling of ownership is here also, but now the cause 
owns the man. He has devoted, that is, given himself to it. 

The objects of loyalty in which the religious educator is interested 
are many; for example, the family, friends, the church, the school, 
public institutions, Christian ideals of character and conduct, and so 
on. But the theme "Loyalty" represents also a review. We have to 
be faithful not only to the demands of friendship (including the friend- 
ship of God), not only to the friendly groups of family, community, and 
country, and that largest group, the Kingdom of God, but also to all 
the principles and ideals so far achieved and made conscious, such as 
Gratitude, Goodwill, Reverence, and Faith. 



IV 

MAKING A PLACE FOR WORSHIP 

How can adequate provision be made for training in worship ? The 
most natural way is to use the time spent either in opening or in clos- 
ing. Some prefer to begin with worship; others to close with worship. 
If the service comes first, the teachers can frequently add immensely to 
its effect by discussing it in class, and providing opportunities for the 
expression of attitudes formed in the service. If it comes at the end, 
it serves as a fitting emotional reaction to the more analytical type of 
work needed in class discussion. The important thing is to be sure to 
have a unit of time sacred to worship and not cut up by anything foreign 
to the spirit of worship, no matter how important this may be. If 
we believe that training in worship is a vital part of the educational 
program of the church, our practise should give evidence of it. It is 
nothing less than ludicrous to attempt to hold a service of worship 
in the midst of interruptions from bells, and notices, reports, recita- 
tions, drills, and late arrivals. A well- trained adult might be able to 
worship under such distracting conditions; a child, never. 

This training in worship does not mean that children should not 
go to church; it means that they will be capable of enjoying church and 
understanding a little of what it is all about. It will make it possible 
for them to participate in mood even when the grown-up prayers and 
sermons are not understood. Thoroughgoing training in worship in 
the church school makes unnecessary the quasi-adaptations of adult 
services by the introduction of special baits for children. 

It is as vain to suppose that worship can be successfully conducted 
without spending time upon it as it would be to suppose that a teacher 
can teach a lesson without first preparing himself for it. Before chil- 
dren's worship can take a worthy place in the educational program of 
the church, it must find its place in the heart and mind of the leader, 
whoever he may be. Without strong, intelligent, and sympathetic 

10 



MAKING A PLACE FOR WORSHIP 11 

leadership, adequate training in worship is impossible — but of these 
qualities the greatest is sympathy. Someone should be chosen to con- 
duct the worship — and it may sometimes more wisely be a woman than 
a man — who is capable of entering into the simple needs and interests - 
of childhood and who is willing to work. Most of the other qualifica- 
tions come by practise. But it is in the minds of the school officials 
that the worship must first find lodgement. 

Successful training in worship depends as much as anything on 
having a complete and accurate record of what is done in the services. 
Provision for this can easily be made in a loose-leaf note-book or in some 
other convenient way. If an original story is used, it should be given 
complete, for future reference. If other stories are used, they should 
be referred to carefully. The complete order of exercises should be 
kept, including the names of hymns, the prayers, and the psalms and 
responses. 

Nor can the teachers escape responsibility. Pupils are frequently 
demoralized by the indifference or carelessness of a teacher who does 
not take active part in the worship. Time must be found for enlisting 
the intelligent co-operation of the teachers in the service itself, in prep- 
aration for it, and in following it up with observations, questions, and 
comments. The school is one school, and not a superintendent's class, 
and then a teacher's class, and then a secretary's class. 

Psalms that are to be learned should be taught in class, or at least 
under the direction of the teachers. Interpretations of the various 
parts of the service and instruction as to posture and conduct should 
be given in class. These things are quite as important as the lesson 
and are not intrusions. Just in so far as they are ignored, the worship 
is unsuccessful. 

The memory work of classes can frequently be combined with the 
learning of psalms, hymns, and prayers for the worship, and both class 
and assembly be vitalized by the association. Selections from the 
psalms will be found in convenient form for memorizing in the pupils' 
book. The prayers should be learned by 'heart at the time of use in the 
service. It is not necessary that older pupils learn the prayers, unless 
they desire to do so, as it is a good thing for them to have training in 
the worshipful use of the printed word. 



12 MAKING A PLACE FOR WORSHIP 

When children are just learning to worship, it is important that as 
many positive influences be brought to bear upon them as possible. 
This means good music — the church organist is none too good for the 
children, and they have a family right to his or her services, even though 
these services have to be paid for. The church auditorium is none too 
good for those of whom Jesus said: "Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." 
We call the church the House of God — and we are afraid to let God's 
children come into it, except on special occasions. They need the in- 
fluence of its architectural dignity, its windows, its reverential associa- 
tions, and they need the organ even more than adults need it. Until 
we recognize the rights of the child in the property of the church, train- 
ing in worship will be incomplete. 

This does not mean that nothing can be done in a cellar or in a 
square room without form or beauty. All it means is that under these 
conditions the great assets of association, organ music, architecture, and 
so on, have to be done without, and that all the more attention must 
be paid to leadership and instruction in worship. 



HOW TO PLAN THE SERVICE OF WORSHIP 

1. Series of Services 

It may be noted that the five topics, Gratitude, Goodwill, Rever- 
ence, Faith, and Loyalty, when taken in the order given, are grouped 
around the festivals of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Reverence 
comes in conveniently after Christmas, and Loyalty is a wholesome end- 
ing for the year. These attitudes furnish suggestive themes around which 
to group services. For several weeks each can be made the central 
theme of the whole service. Naturally the subjects overlap, and should 
do so, but when used as the main emphasis in a service, a theme, such 
as one of these, provides unity and precision and cumulative force that 
can be secured in no other way. Other topics could be used, particularly 
whenever special needs are to be met, or when special occasions arise, 
such as a memorial service, a patriotic service, the first Sunday of the 
season, Rally Sunday, Children's Sunday. But, as a rule, the universal 
human interests and needs and attitudes afford the most vital themes for 
worship. 

It is not, of course, essential that several successive services should 
follow one general theme. The advantages are found in the easy point 
of contact, the possibility of the continued story, the cumulative effect 
of constantly dwelling on one theme from many points of view, the 
use of the same order of service. It is important that pupils become 
sufficiently familiar with the order not to be distracted by it. They 
must be free to give their attention to the thought of the service. This 
takes time, especially at first. Six to eight weeks is a satisfactory length 
of time to devote to one order. Even when changes in the theme do 
not involve changes in the order of worship, plenty of variety is possible 
for still longer periods of time. It is unfortunate, however, to be for- 
ever limited to one order of service, just as it would be to be forever 
bound to one kind of teaching or one sort of sermon. 

13 



14 HOW TO PLAN THE SERVICE OF WORSHIP 

The material of the manual follows the classification just given, 
as does also the material in The Book of Worship. Several orders of 
service are given, which can be used under the various themes, and 
repeated indefinitely with changes in content to suit the changing 
topics. Other themes than those mentioned can be used, if desired, 
provided the spirit of worship be maintained. " Brotherhood," "God," 
"The Church," "The Kingdom of God"; or negative subjects like 
"Quarrels," "Meanness"; or "Vacation," "School," "Work," "Play" 
— these and other subjects are useful, but they usually fall under the 
more general headings of Gratitude, etc., as subtopics which describe 
the subject-matter of the special material used or the fields within 
which the five attitudes are to be practised. 

2. The Single Service 

Once a general theme for a series of services is decided on, the first 
thing to do is to find a topic for the particular service in view. This 
may be suggested in various ways: current events, the needs and prob- 
lems of pupils, story material examined, Bible passages, or the place 
the service occupies in a larger scheme covering three or more weeks, 
as, e. g., the three on Quarrels, the stories for which are given in Section 
XI. Then it is helpful to look through appropriate hymns and psalms 
and prayers and to select a tentative list. After the talk is prepared 
or well outlined, the hymns can be looked through again and arranged 
so as to contribute to the effect desired. It is often helpful to plan 
a sentence announcement for a hymn so that it may be sung with 
appreciation. 

With occasional exceptions, it will be found best to use one psalm 
and one unison prayer for several Sundays or during the use of one 
theme. // the hymns used during the period in which one theme is pur- 
sued be selected from a narrow range of, say, eight or ten, or fewer, and then 
not be used again for a long time, the effect is to give the impression of both 
familiarity and freshness. Some hymns will be sung several times dur- 
ing the period, and will then be dropped for six months or a year, to be 
returned to again as to old friends. This is an extremely important 
principle to follow in using a small collection of hymns. Only a few 
new hymns should be used each year. 



HOW TO PLAN THE SERVICE OF WORSHIP 15 

It is not well to have the children's worship too long. Twenty to 
twenty-five minutes is sufficient. Nor is it worth while to have it short, 
except for a brief closing or opening devotional moment, which belongs 
really to the lesson period and is not a service of worship. The story 
or talk need never exceed ten minutes and may frequently be five to 
advantage. The leader's prayer — several examples of which are printed 
— will have to be short and to the point if it is to be effective. 

The processional and recessional are useful ways of getting the 
children in and out of the room used for worship. When the church 
auditorium is used (as it should be where possible), and where there are 
also other connecting rooms available, it is a good plan to have the 
children hang up their wraps and assemble in one of these rooms or in 
the corridors. They can form in line, the choir first, if there be one, 
then the classes in order of age, the youngest leading. When the mo- 
ment comes to begin, they can then pass into the church singing the 
processional hymn. The recessional hymn serves to help the children 
pass in good order to the rooms in which the classes meet. Sometimes 
children over thirteen will prefer to go into the auditorium ahead of 
the procession and take seats assigned to them. 

When the choir has developed skill in singing independently, the 
recessional can be sung by them alone after the first stanza, and the 
rest of the school can wait quietly in the pews until the choir has passed 
out and the Amen been sung. This moment of quiet listening to the 
receding music can be used to increase the effectiveness of the service. 
With a choir thus trained, the processional is also desirable, even where 
the school assembles in the room in which the service is held. 

When no processional is used, the children can nevertheless take 
their places quietly while a soft prelude is played. As this is what they 
will have to do in many churches, it affords a good opportunity to train 
them in the use of the silent prayer on entering the church. 

The orders of worship printed in Section XII are suggestive merely 
and are not necessarily to be followed. They illustrate the principles 
upon which many others might be constructed. But whatever order 
he uses, the leader should have it clearly prepared in advance, both 
for himself and for the organist or pianist, and for any others who are 
to assist in the leading of the worship. The teachers sometimes need 



16 HOW TO PLAN THE SERVICE OF WORSHIP 

the order. Many schools, having decided on what the service is to be 
for several weeks, have cards printed showing the psalm and prayer to 
be used, as well as the general program. Schools printing a weekly 
or monthly paper can easily make this a regular news item. In any 
case, the teachers should explain the order to the pupils before the 
day on which it is first used. 

3. Grading in Worship 

The Commission on Worship of the Religious Education Associa- 
tion has arrived at the following conclusions regarding the grading of 
worship:* 

1. The need for worship is universal and persists throughout the 
whole of life. 

2. The nature of worship is essentially the same in the child and 
in the adult. 

3. The order of common worship, as a whole and in detail, should 
be adapted to the needs, interests, and capacities of the worshippers. 

4. The extent to which the individual worshipper participates in a 
service of worship depends upon the degree to which the service as a 
whole and in detail is adapted to his needs, interests, and capacities. 

5. The extent of participation on the part of the group as a whole 
in a service of worship depends upon the degree to which the elements 
of the service are adapted to the needs, interests, and capacities com- 
mon to the group. . . . 

Other matters were discussed which might be embodied in some 
further principles, thus: 

The content of an order of worship should usually be concerned 
with universal needs and interests. 

If it is necessary to meet special needs through an order of wor- 
ship, the worshipping group should, for this purpose, include only those 
to whom such needs are common. 

Where such separation is practised, the unity of the whole school 
demands that all pupils occasionally worship together. 

It is obvious that grading the materials of worship simply carries 

* Adopted in this tentative form at the convention at Buffalo. See Religions Education 
for details. 



HOW TO PLAN THE SERVICE OF WORSHIP 17 

the adaptation of worship to its logical conclusion. But it is a mistake 
to suppose that children of all ages cannot worship together. They 
should be taught to worship together, if for no other reason than that they 
have certain fundamental universal human needs to be met. But it 
is also true that adolescents, when properly trained to worship in the 
elementary grades, no longer need the same kind of training. They 
are ready to enter into the full enjoyment of the church worship. They 
do need special training in worship that is adapted to the special needs 
and interests of adolescents, and somewhere in the educational work 
of the church opportunity for such training should be given. It may 
come as a part of the Sunday session of the school. But, in any event, 
the whole school should at least occasionally come together for worship. 
The Book of Worship centres around universal human needs and 
interests, and is intended for children under fourteen. But it does not 
exclude adolescent interests so far as these are universal, and it can 
therefore be used with them, and should be used when children of all 
ages worship together. 



VI 
HOW TO CONDUCT THE SERVICE 

To those who have never seriously undertaken to lead children in 
worship, the position of leader may seem at first embarrassing. But 
it is really a beautiful and natural thing to do, and the children respond 
to dignified leadership even when their habits are all unfavorable. It 
takes time, of course, to develop a school tradition concerning conduct 
in the opening exercises. Old habits may have to be broken down and 
new habits to be built up. But schools of the most disorderly type have 
done it successfully. One can always trust the children to "play up." 
All children like stories, even when they are not well told, provided the 
stories have vitality and are not feeble admonishings to be good. Chil- 
dren like to sing, and they enjoy good music. If their taste has already 
been spoiled by the use of bad music, it will take time to change it. 
But adults are responsible for the sort of hymns the children will like 
when they are grown. If we want them to grow up with an affection 
for trash, all we have to do is to have them sing it when they are young. 
The experiment is almost always successful. Children like to take an 
active part in worship, and older children can frequently be of help in 
leading responses and unison prayers, reading the Scripture, and the 
like. But it is important that they do things that are natural and 
appropriate and not artificial or forced. Reading a prose selection 
responsively may be customary, but is seldom edifying. The effect is 
much worse than when it is read by one person. Certain psalms are 
evidently intended for responsive use; they are built on rhythmical 
lines. Others are not adapted to such use and should be said in uni- 
son. When such details of method are overlooked the children natu- 
rally lose interest. 

With all these interests of children to fall back on, the most hesi- 
tant leader can be confident that success will follow sincere effort to do 
the thing right. 

18 



HOW TO CONDUCT THE SERVICE 19 

In following an order of worship it is important that the mechanics 
require as little attention as possible. All the services printed in Section 
XII* are constructed partly with a view to the naturalness of sequence, 
involving practically no announcing of items. The prayers may well be 
preceded in each case by the dignified and customary phrase, "Let us 
pray." The psalm, if said in unison, can either begin at once or be 
announced by the simple statement, "The Twenty- third Psalm." If 
responsively used, sufficient indication of what is going on is given as 
the leader starts in to read his part. The hymns can begin simply by 
being played through once, or they can be announced by some inter- 
pretative sentence calling attention to the thought of the words or the 
character of the music. The pages on which hymns, psalms, prayers, 
sentences, benedictions, and other items are to be found should be 
posted on bulletin-boards so as to be easily seen by all. Things must 
proceed easily and rapidly, with no long and awkward pauses, when no 
one knows what to do next. All this necessitates careful planning and 
a well-prepared order of service for the leader's use, as indicated in the 
last section. 

When the psalms are used responsively, it is often a good plan to 
have the pupils' response led by an older pupil, or by the leader of the 
singing. This helps unanimity of expression. The same person can 
also lead in the unison prayers if it is so desired. Another method is to 
have one part of the school take one section of the psalm and another 
part the next, producing a real antiphonal effect. The choir forms a 
convenient division for such a purpose. 

* Details of the organization and conduct of services are given in Section XII. 



VII 
MUSIC 

The singing is so important that a . few suggestions concerning it 
may not be out of order. Enthusiasm is not necessarily worship. Loud- 
ness may detract from the spirit of reverence. But whole-hearted par- 
ticipation in the intelligent appreciation of the meaning of the hymns 
is essential to good worship. Much depends, therefore, upon the way 
the singing is led. Someone who can carry the air easily is needed 
to lead the children, whether this person be the superintendent or not. 
Gesticulations and clapping get results of a certain kind, but are unde- 
sirable from the point of view of education in worship. It is better 
to have the singing less boisterous and more intelligent and dignified 
than to have it stimulated artificially. Again, the way the hymn is 
played is extremely important. A poor pianist or organist is likely 
to make good singing impossible. Frequently it would be better to do 
without the instrument altogether than to have the music bungled. 
Let the spirit of the hymn be expressed in the playing of it, and the 
children will be ready to sing it well. 

A children's choir is of great help in leading music. The pupils 
enjoy rehearsing, singing responses, aniens, and special anthems. Vari- 
ous responses will be found in the back of The Book of Worship, and a 
list of a few good anthems for children is appended to this section. If 
more than one amen can be learned, No. 1 should follow the usual 
prayers, and No. 2, or some other, the benediction. If only one is used, 
it should be No. 1. 

When there is no choir, the responses and sentences can be used by 
the whole school. A few of these are particularly adapted for use at 
the very beginning of the service. 

A choir of boys, or of girls, or of both together, is feasible in almost 
any school. Someone qualified to lead the choir should be found be- 
fore anything is said about starting one. This leader should then be 

20 



MUSIC 21 

responsible for the testing of voices and the selection of pupils. If the 
choir is started frankly on the basis of singing capacity, there need be no 
trouble about favoritism. There should be regular rehearsals, either 
between Sundays, or just before the service of worship, or both. The 
work of the choir can be improved with astonishing rapidity if a mid- 
week rehearsal is held in addition to the one on Sunday morning. If 
the selection is confined to boys, only those between nine and thirteen 
can usually be available, and no boy should be allowed to continue in 
the choir after his voice shows signs of changing. When only girls are 
selected, the whole choir can be somewhat older and not be dependent 
on children who are too small to contribute much. When both boys 
and girls are used, all should usually be under thirteen or fourteen or 
over sixteen, in order to have a group that will work well together. 
The choir should be conducted according to the principles of good teach- 
ing. The choir is both a class and a club, and the same methods belong 
to its management as to the management of these other groups. It 
should be organized, with a leading officer — probably a president — a 
secretary, and sometimes a librarian, or someone to take care of the 
music. The pupils may well be responsible for their own behavior and 
discipline and attendance, when attendance is not required. 

Instrumental music may be used with splendid effect. An organ 
solo, when properly interpreted, may do much toward arousing the 
attitude desired. An organ or orchestral prelude is as significant for 
children as for adults. When classes meet in the assembly room the 
signal for the close of the lesson can sometimes be given by chords on 
the piano or a very short instrumental piece which begins softly, grows 
louder, and then fades away again. By the time it is finished all will 
be quiet and ready for the closing moment of prayer. A short list of 
suitable organ selections is appended. They are examples of the type 
of music that appeals to children and can be interpreted to them. 

Choir Anthems 
christmas 

Away in a Manger Luther 

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen Schirmer 

Good Christian Men, Rejoice . . . Traditional .... Schirmer 

Good King Wenceslas . . . . . Neale Schirmer 



22 MUSIC 

Infant So Gentle, Cradle Song . . . Traditional .... Schirmer 

Midnight Masse Legge Novello 

We Three Kings of Orient Are . . . Traditional .... Schirmer 

Collection of Carols Gibson (Ed.) .... Schirmer 

EASTER 

Coming Spring Gatty Novello 

Hail the Morn of Mystic Beauty . . Woodman Novello 

Sabbath Bells Stainer Novello 

Collection of Six Carols Harker Schirmer 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Incline Thine Ear Himmel 

O Lord, How Manifold Are Thy Works Barnby Novello 

O Lord, My Trust . King Hall Novello 

Sing We Now Our Hymns of Gladness Atherton Schirmer 

Various books on children's choirs and children's voices can be had of the 
H. W. Gray Co., New York. 

Organ Selections 

Chorus of the Pilgrims Wagner 

Hallelujah Chorus, from The Messiah Handel 

Hero's March Mendelssohn 

Intermezzo, from Cavalleria Rusticana Mascagni 

Largo Handel 

Largo, from the New World Symphony Dvorak 

March and Chorus, from Tannhauser Wagner 

March of the Magi Kings Dubois 

Minuette, from The Gothic Suite Boelmann 

Marche Militaire Schubert 

Pastoral Symphony, from The Messiah , . . Handel 

Priests' March, from Athalie Mendelssohn 

Traumerei and Romance Schumann 

Walter's Prize Song, from Die Meistersinger Wagner 



VIII 
THE USE OF SCRIPTURE 

As has already been suggested, it is not usually in keeping with either 
worship or teaching to have prose passages read responsively. It is con- 
fusing. The nature of the movement of thought in such passages — 
narrative or didactic — makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get a uni- 
fied idea of the whole through disjointed reading. A good many of the 
psalms, however, seem to have been prepared with just such antiphonal 
use in view. Other psalms are obviously not so well adapted to respon- 
sive use, but can be so read if desired. The arrangement of the psalms 
in The Book of Worship is such that they can be read either in unison 
or responsively. The leader's sections are at the left and the school's 
indented. In case one portion of the school is to read one section and 
another portion the next, as was suggested in Section VI, then such 
antiphonal use would better be practised and explained outside the wor- 
ship itself before an attempt is made to do it as a part of the service. 

There are many Bible passages that are well adapted for reading 
to children. These can be read either by an older pupil (who would 
probably need training in order to do it adequately) or by one of the 
leaders. Passages might be selected for their general value for wor- 
ship or for their contribution to the theme of the day. It is sometimes 
difficult to put one's hand on a passage which is suitable for children, 
and so a short list of selections is given here as an aid. It is not in- 
tended to be exhaustive. Some of the passages might better be cut 
or adapted. Words which convey no meaning to the hearers should 
be changed or interpreted. Ordinarily the American Revised text is 
the best one to use. Sometimes a New Testament passage already 
familiar acquires new force when read in one of the more recent trans- 
lations, such as the Twentieth Century New Testament, or Moffat's 
translation, or Weymouth's. The first of these will probably be found 

23 



24 



THE USE OF SCRIPTURE 



most useful. But any of them is likely to suggest a rendering that can 
be used with the American Revised to good advantage. 

The Authorized Version is used in the passages quoted in The Book 
of Worship, with an occasional change or cut which makes the selection 
of more value for the purposes of religious education. It is believed 
that the omissions and changes will be acceptable to everyone who 
goes into the matter thoroughly. The material is used frankly for its 
educational significance. 

Scripture Passages 



M< 


itthew 2 : 1-12. 








Colossians 3 : 12-17. 


5-7, sections. 






Hebrews 11 : 1, 8-10, 24-27, 29-38, 


18 : 1-14, 21-35. 




12 : 1-2. 


Mark 14 : 26-42, $3, 


54, 


66- 


-72. 


James 1 : 12-14, I 7 _2 5- 


Luke 2 : 1-20. 








Revelation 21 : 1-5. 




' 6 : 20-49. 








Stories from Genesis, Exodus, Num- 




' 10 : 30-37. 








bers, Joshua, Ruth. 




' 12 : 15-31. 








I Samuel, stories from chapters 16-31. 




15 : 11-32. 








II Samuel 23 : 8-17. 




' 17 : 11-19. 








I Kings 18 : 15-40. 




' 18 : 10-14. 








" 19 : i-i5a. 




' 19 : 12-27. 








II Kings 5. 


" 22 : 47-62. 








Ecclesiastes 12 : 1-7. 


John 14 : 1-10, 15, 2 


7- 






Isaiah 6 : 1-12. 


Romans 8 : 5-1 1, 18 


28 


, 31, 


35-39. 


" 40 : i-ii, 12-31. 


12. 








" 52 : 7-io. 


Galatians 6 : 1-10. 








" 52 : 13-53 : 12. 


Ephesians 6 : 10-20. 








" 60 : 1-3, 17-20. 


Philippians 2 : i~5a, 


12- 


■i5, 


4:8. 


Daniel 3. 




3 : 8-14, 


4 : 


4-9 




" 6. 



IX 
STORIES, TALKS, AND PRAYERS 

HOW TO USE THEM 

It has seemed wise to classify the story material under the five 
headings, Gratitude, Goodwill, Reverence, Faith, and Loyalty, so that 
it may fit in conveniently with the general scheme of the book. Inci- 
dents may often be used for more than one purpose by changing the 
emphasis slightly. This is especially true of those stories listed in the 
classified bibliography which are not printed here. No attempt has 
been made to give a finer classification, as it has been the writer's ex- 
perience that one has to read a story through before he can tell whether 
or not he can use it and how he can use it. For this reason a list of 
books found most useful has been prepared, in the hope that schools 
or libraries will make it possible for leaders of worship to have access 
to available material. The list makes no pretense at completeness. 

The stories which are printed here are intended merely as illustra- 
tions of the way different problems can be approached and different types 
of incident, real and imaginary, be put in story or sermon form. Leaders 
not used to public work may find it easier at first simply to learn a story 
and tell it practically from memory. But unless they have a vivid 
imagination this method is apt to produce a somewhat mechanical re- 
sult. A better way is to visualize the incidents in the story, get the 
sequence of events or ideas, and then to build up the story from this 
framework, using the author's words or not, as may seem desirable. 
This takes less time and is more effective even when the language is 
not so perfect. In cases where stories depend upon the exact wording 
for their effect, the words must be memorized. 

Leaders will usually find it necessary to adapt stories to their pur- 
poses. The few which are printed here fulfilled the purposes for which 
they were intended. Those listed in the bibliography that are not 

25 



20 STORIES, TALKS, AND PRAYERS 

printed here are referred to as suggestive merely and not necessarily 
to be adopted as they stand. 

There is a large amount of story material which is not at present 
in usable form, but which is adapted in content and can readily be put 
into shape by those who have the time to spend upon it. In books 
by James Oppenheim, Harold Begbie, Paul Leicester Ford, in Queed and 
V. V. y s Eyes (H. S. Harrison) and others of like character, there are 
incidents of Christian deeds in different situations. Many stories can 
be culled from missionary biography and stories of the bravery and loy- 
alty of foreign Christians. Examples of what certain immigrants have 
done — Steiner, Riis, Mary An tin — are helpful. (Inquire at libraries for 
material by or about these persons.) Children of less fortunate cir- 
cumstances need to have their imaginations stimulated and fed with 
" fairy" stories, talks in appreciation of nature, stories about other 
children, other peoples, other lands and places. Sympathy for others, 
without distinction as to " class" or privilege, can be cultivated through 
stories of how others live, their difficulties and misfortunes and pleas- 
ures and heroisms. Cases of child labor, accounts of hospital work, 
fresh-air work, milk stations, private-school life (see Owen Johnson's 
books), the trials of the "poor little rich children" are rich in possibil- 
ities. Farm life, city life, suburban life, village life, camp life, sea 
life, firemen, miners, life-savers — all the common, every-day things — can 
be illuminated and transfigured by a glowing imagination and made 
over into the means of deepening the sympathies and appreciations of 
children. 

For those who desire help in learning how to improve their own 
method of story-telling, books like E. P. St. John's Stories and Story 
Telling and Sarah Cone Bryant's How to Tell Stories to Children will be 
found of use. 

For both methods and story material, attention should be called to 
current periodicals, particularly of the denominational houses, as The 
Sunday School Journal, The Pilgrim Teacher, The Christian Register, and 
many others. Everyland, & quarterly magazine published in New York, 
contains much suggestive material. 

Several orders of service are suggested which do not include a story 
or talk. This is to accommodate schools that are temporarily without 



STORIES, TALKS, AND PRAYERS 27 

anyone who can do this work well enough. It is rare, however, that 
someone cannot be found for this when the superintendent is not qual- 
ified to undertake it. 

Prayers 

Since in most services the prayer will follow the talk or story, prayers 
for the leader's use have been printed after some of the stories given 
here. Some leaders will care to use them; some will not. Perhaps 
even for the latter they may serve to show how it is possible to be both 
religious and scientific at the same time, when one takes pains to think 
as much about what he is to say to God as he does about what he is to 
say to men. Various published volumes of prayers are referred to, but 
it is hoped that each leader will ultimately find the time and strength 
to put himself into his prayers. It is chiefly for those who work under 
the heavy disadvantage of lack of time and strength for preparation 
that these prayers are humbly proffered. 

Numerous collects, short prayers, calls to worship, and benedictions 
are placed at the end of the Manual. Many ways of using them will 
no doubt occur to the resourceful leader of worship. 



X 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF STORIES, SOURCES, AND PRAYERS 

I. CLASSIFIED LIST OF STORIES 



Gratitude 
(including thanksgiving) 

TITLE 

A Fortune 

About Angels . . . • . . . 

Androclus and the Lion ..... 

How Bread Came to the Children 

Introduction to Organ Solo 

Purring When Pleased . . 

Samuel 

The Blind Old Horse ...... 

The First Thanksgiving ..... 

The Golden Windows 

The Little Blind Girl 

The Plant 

The Snobbish Self 

The Sunny Side and the Dark Side 

The Ungrateful Self 

The Upper Side of the Cloud . 

Things Done for Us ..... . 

Two Angels and Their Baskets .... 

What Bradley Owed 



Goodwill 
(including Christmas) 



A Christmas Story 
A Four-Footed Gentleman 
Abraham and Lot 
David and Saul 
Florence Nightingale 
George and Willie (Quarrels) 
Getting Ready for Christmas 
Introduction to Organ Solo . 
Jean val Jean and the Bishop 

Joan of Arc . 

John and Ivan (Quarrels) 



FOUND IN BOOK NO. 




(SEE list, page 31) 


PAGE 


26 


96 


26 


41 


29 II 


256 


23 


39 


Manual 


45 


Manual 


42 


7 


9 


4 


67 


Manual 


33 


26 


1 


Manual 


37 


27 


104 


Manual 


47 


4 


73 


Manual 


45 


4 


122 


Manual 


39 


4 


146 


Manual 


35 


Manual 


58 


7 


28 


Bible 




cf. 24 


87 


29 V 


126 


Manual 


55 


Manual 


52 


Manual 


53 


29 II 


222 


7 


108 


29 VI 


231 


Manual 


54 



28 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES 



29 



Joseph and His Brothers 
Margaret of New Orleans 
Moses .... 
Personal Service . 
Resolutions . 
The Banyan Deer 



The Curing of a Selfish Boy 

The Fir-Tree that Found Something 

The Glad Self 

The Good Samaritan 

The Great Feast . 

The Lame Boy . 

The Legend of St. Christopher 

The Lesson of the Looking-Glass 

The Magic Mask . 

The Persian and His Three Sons 

The Prodigal Son 

The Risks of Firemen . 

The Sick Child . 

The Story of a Family Portrait 

The Stranger 

The Wheat Field 

Three Questions . 

Two Kinds of Wheels . 

Two Monks (Quarrels) . 

Why the Battery Didn't Work 



to 



Do 



found in book no. 
(see next list) 


PAGE 


Bible 




7 


39 


7 


31 


Manual 


49 


Manual 


63 


29 II 


248 


7 


no 


8 


82 


Manual 


60 


25 




Bible 




26 


26 


18 


65 


7 


IOO 


7 


44 


7 


45 


7 


126 


Bible 




27 V 


231 


27 


44 


Manual 


65 


7 


25 


26 


9 


Manual 


49 


4 


48 


Manual 


56 


4 


172 



Reverence 



A Little Prison Flower . 


16 


118 


Brother Lawrence .... 


5 




Climbing Alone 


29 I 


34 


How God Speaks to Us : 






In the Cry of Human Need . 


Manual 


74 


In the Voice of Conscience 


Manual 


76 


In the Beautiful, Good, and True 


Manual 


78 


Introductions to Organ Solos 


Manual 


80-81 


On Prayer 


Manual 


70 


The Broken Vase . 


16 


106 


The Fool's Prayer .... 


E. R. Sill 




The Great Stone Face ... 


Manual 


68 


The Lord's Prayer .... 


Manual 


72 


The Old Grandfather's Corner 


29 I 


73 


Faith 






(including e 


A.STER) 





David and Goliath 
Faith Is Hope Plus Work 
Faith in One Another . 



cf. 24 
Manual 
Manual 



79 
102 

99 



30 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES 



Faith in Oneself 

Gideon 

Introduction to Organ Solo . 

Jean val Jean and the Bishop 

Jesus, the Explorer (Easter) 

Livingstone's Faith 

Pioneers (Washington's Birthday) 

St. George and the Dragon . 

The City of God (Washington's Birthday) 

The Easter Message .... 

The Fairy Who Grew Up 

The Game of Life (Easter) . 

The Squirrel's Devotion 

The Two Worlds— Faith in the Future 

Trust in the Lord .... 

Two Travellers 



Loyalty 



A Camp-Fire Girl 
A Persian Lad 



Damon and Pythias 

Daniel's Loyalty 

David's Mighty Men . 

Dink Stover (Loyalty to the Truth) 

Partners 

Patriotism (Lincoln's Birthday) 

Peter 

Regulus 



Resolutions 

The Friends 

The Game of Life 

The Hero of Haarlem . 

The Honest Farmer 
The Race with the Flood 
The Sailor Man . 
The Tree in the City . 
The Waste Collector . 
Three Hundred Heroes 
Vacation Thoughts 



FOUND IN BOOK NO. 
(SEE NEXT LIST) 


PAGE 


Manual 


96 


cf. 24 


60 


Manual 


I03 


29 II 


222 


Manual 


IO4 


Manual 


86 


Manual 


82 


29 II 


239 


Manual 


84 


Manual 


106 


Manual 


88 


Manual 


108 


7 




Manual 


92 


Manual 


90 


7 


103 


Manual 


114 


29 I 


144 


2 


98 


29 I 


193 


22 


54 


Manual 


119 


Manual 


113 


Manual 


120 


29 I 


176 


Manual 


116 


Manual 


no 


29 V 


33i 


1 


82 


Manual 


63 


29 III 


187 


Manual 


108 


7 


94 


29 II 


38 


7 


54 


3 




26 


66 


26 


18 


29 III 


12 


29 I 


221 


Manual 


122 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES 



31 



II. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SOURCES 

Including the Books Referred to in the Preceding List, as Well as a 

Few Others 

(see section ix) 

Other suitable stories besides those referred to will be found in these books. 
The most valuable sources are starred. 



NO. 


AUTHOR 


*i 

*2 


Baldwin, J. 


*3 
*4 


u 

Bayley, F. T. 


5 
6 

*7 


Bryant, S. C. 
Cabot, E. L. 


8 


Chamberlin and Kern 


9 

IO 


Gatty, Mrs. Alfred 
Gould, F. J. 


ii 


<< 


12 


a 


13 


Gunsaulus, F. W. 


14 
*i6 


Johnson, Owen 
Jordan, D. S. 
Kerr, H. T. 


17 
18 


Kingsley, C. 
Lane, Mrs. C. A. 


19 


Lindsay, Maude 


20 


" 


21 


Mathews, Basil 


22 


Metcalf, J. H. 


23 


Moffat and Hidden 


24 


Parker, Mrs. H. C. 


25 


Porter, Eleanor H. 


*26 


Richards, L. E. 


27 

28 


u 
(I 


29 


Sneath, et at. 



Fifty Famous Stories Retold. (Am. Book Co.) 

Fifty Famous People. (Am. Book Co.) 

American Book of Golden Deeds. (Am. Book Co.) 

Little Ten Minutes. (Revell.) 

Brother Lawrence. (Revell.) 

Stories to Tell to Children. (Houghton Mifflin Co.) 

Ethics for Children. (Houghton Mifflin Co.) 

Child Religion in Song and Story. (University of 

Chicago Press.) 
Parables from Nature. (James Pott & Co.) 
Children's Book of Moral Lessons. Four volumes. 

(Watts, London.) 
Brave Citizens. (Watts, London.) 
Stories for Moral Instruction. (Watts, London.) 
Young Men in History. (Revell.) 
The Varmint. (Doubleday, Page & Co.) 
Call of the Twentieth Century. (Revell.) 
Children's Story Sermons. (Revell.) 
The Heroes. (Dutton — Everyman's.) 
First Book of Religion. (Unitarian S. S. Soc.) 
Mother Stories. (Milton Bradley.) 
More Mother Stories. (Milton Bradley.) 
Livingstone, the Pathfinder. (Missionary Ed. M'v't.) 
World Stories. (Unitarian S. S. Soc.) 
Children's Sunday Hour of Story and Song. (Ameri- 
can Unitarian Association.) 
Stories from the Old Testament. (Unitarian S. S. 

Soc.) 
Pollyanna. (The Page Co.) 
The Golden Windows. (Little, Brown & Co.) 
The Silver Crown. (Little, Brown & Co.) 
The Pig Brother. (Little, Brown & Co.) 
The Golden Rule Series. (Macmillan.) 
I. The Golden Ladder Book. 
II. The Golden Path Book. 

III. The Golden Door Book. 

IV. The Golden Key Book. 
V. The Golden Word Book. 

VI. The Golden Deed Book. 



32 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES 



BOOK 
NO. AUTHOR 

30 Sneath & Hodges 

31 Sneath, et al. 

32 Tappan, E. M. 

33 

34 White, Emerson E. 

35 Yonge, C. M. 

* 3 6 Porter, D. R. (Ed.) 

37 Stevenson, B. F. (Ed.) 

*38 Cope, H. F. 



Moral Training in the School and Home (Bibliog- 
raphy.) (Macmillan.) 
The King's Highway Series. (Macmillan.) (An- 
nounced.) 
European Hero Stories. (Houghton Mifflin Co.) 
The Children's Hour. Ten volumes. (Houghton 

Mifflin Co.) 
School Management and Moral Training. (Am. 

Book Co.) 
A Book of Golden Deeds. (Macmillan.) 
Poems of Action. (Association Press.) 
Home Book of Verse. (Henry Holt & Co.) 
Hymns You Ought to Know. (Revell.) 



Bailey, Carolyn S. 
Bryant, S. C. 

Hartshorne, H. 

Hervey, W. L. 
Keyes, Angela 
Lyman, Edna 
St. John, E. P. 



Books on Method 

For the Story Teller. (Milton Bradley.) 

How to Tell Stories to Children. (Houghton 
Mifflin Co.) 

Worship in the Sunday School. (Teachers Col- 
lege, N. Y.) 

Picture Work. (Revell.) 

Stories and Story Telling. (Appleton.) 

Story Telling. (A. C. McClurg.) 

Stories and Story Telling. (Pilgrim Press.) 



III. BOOKS OF PRAYERS 



AUTHOR 

Diffendorfer, R. E. (Ed.) 
McComb, Samuel 
Martineau, J. 
Rauschenbusch, W. 
Tileston, M. W. (Ed.) 
Washburn, O. R. 



Fosdick, H. E. 



Thy Kingdom Come. (Missionary Ed. M'v't.) 
A Book of Prayers. (Dodd, Mead.) 
Prayers. (Longmans, Green & Co.) 
Prayers of the Social Awakening. (Pilgrim Press.) 
Prayers Ancient and Modern. (Little, Brown & Co.) 
A Book of Psalms. (H. F. van Haagen, N. Y.) 
Prayers for Parents and Children. (Young Church- 
man.) 
The Meaning of Prayer. (Association Press.) 



XI 

STORIES, TALKS, AND PRAYERS FOR USE IN 
THE SERVICE 

GRATITUDE 

The First Thanksgiving* 

Long, long ago, there were no houses in this country of ours, no 
towns, no big cities, and only the Indians lived in the forests and among 
the hills. 

Then one day some people came from a country across the sea to 
make their home in America. They were on the water a long, long 
time, but, after a rough, hard voyage, they finally saw the shore. Oh, 
how glad they were ! They were so tired of being on the water. As 
soon as they had landed they began to build houses to live in. These 
houses were made only of logs, but the people were glad to have even 
these to shelter them. 

It was autumn when they came, too late to plant seed, and so all 
the cold winter they had very little food. Many of them were sick 
and some of them died. 

The ship had been sent back to their home country, with letters 
asking the friends there to send them food and clothes, but it had been 
gone such a long time that they had begun to fear that it had been 
lost at sea. 

In the spring they planted corn and vegetables, and the Indians 
showed them other things that were good for food. All summer the 
rains came and watered the seed, the sun shone and helped it grow; and 
in the autumn they gathered in the harvest. 

* Adapted from Moffatt and Hidden, Children's Sunday Hour of Story and Song. Used 
by permission of the American Unitarian Association. 

33 



34 GRATITUDE 

After the long summer had passed, one day some little boys were 
playing on a hill not far from the shore. All at once, away off on the 
horizon, they saw a sail coming toward the land. Oh, how they hoped 
it was the ship from the home country! They hurried down to tell 
their fathers and mothers, and then everybody went to the harbor to 
watch the ship come in. 

It was the ship they had looked for and longed for ; there were friends 
on board; there were many things to keep them comfortable all winter. 
They were very happy then, and they knew that God had watched over 
them. They all thanked Him from their hearts, but they wished to 
thank Him all together. 

So the Governor, William Bradford, set a special day apart, asking 
that everyone should go to church to thank God for His goodness to 
them. 

In the morning on that first Thanksgiving day they all obeyed the 
Governor, and went to church to give thanks to God. Then they all 
met together and had a real Thanksgiving dinner. They did not forget 
to invite some of the Indians, too, who had helped them to plant the 
seeds and had done many things for them. 

That was many years ago, and now, every year, the Governors and 
the President set a special day apart, and ask all the people to meet 
in the churches and in their homes to remind one another of all the 
things that should make them happy, and to thank God for all His 
good gifts throughout the year. 

And that is what Thanksgiving day means — a day to give thanks 
to God. 

I am going to read now a part of the Thanksgiving Proclamation 
which the President has issued to all the people of the United States of 
America. 

PRAYER 

We praise Thee, God, for all Thy wonderful works to the chil- 
dren of men. We rejoice in Thy loving-kindness. Thy faithfulness 
endure th unto all generations. For the good gifts that have been our 
portion accept, O God, our humble and hearty thanks. 

In Thy presence we gladly recall to one another Thy gracious care, 



GRATITUDE 35 

as it has been shown to us so constantly. Clear skies and clouds, 
bread and abundant water, health, books, friends, and homes — all 
these and hosts of other good things are so familiar to us that we in our 
thoughtlessness hardly notice that we have them. Yet they are Thy 
gifts to us, and deep down in our hearts we are indeed filled with grati- 
tude and trust. 

We thank Thee, too, for much that has seemed to us to be full of 
pain, without meaning, and hard to endure, but which we now know 
has made us more faithful and more useful. In all our bitter trials, in 
all our weakness and wrong-doing, teach us to let Thee help us, that 
we may come through these experiences more wise, more loving, more 
just, more forgiving. 

We pray to-day, in this season of Thanksgiving, that there may 
indeed be cause for rejoicing in the hearts of all Thy children. May 
love come with cheer and hope to brighten the lives of all who are sick 
or in sorrow. May wars cease and the spirit of brotherly kindness 
prevail throughout the world. 

And Thine shall be the glory, world without end — the glory of a 
righteous and loving peace, which the world shall achieve in the spirit 
of our Saviour and Friend, the Prince of Peace. Amen. 



What Bradley Owed* 

There was once a boy whose name was Bradley. They called him 
Tiddley Winks when he was young, because he was such a tiny little 
thing. When he was about eight years old he had already got into 
the bad habit of thinking of everything as worth so much money. He 
wanted to know the price of everything he saw, and if it had not cost 
a great deal it did not seem to him to be of any value at all. 

Now this was rather foolish of him, for there are a great many 
things that money can't buy, which don't have any price at all. Money 
cannot buy the very best things in the world, as you will soon see. 

One morning when Bradley came down to breakfast he put on his 
mother's plate a little piece of paper, neatly folded. His mother opened 

* Adapted from Kerr, H. T., Children's Story Sermons. Used by permission of the 
Fleming H. Revell Co. 



36 GRATITUDE 

it, and what do you think was on it? She could hardly believe' it, but 
this is what Bradley had written: 

Mother owes Bradley — 

For running errands 25 cents. 

For being good 10 cents. 

For taking music lessons 15 cents. 

Extras 5 cents. 

Total that mother owes Bradley . 55 cents. 

His mother smiled when she read that, but she did not say any- 
thing. When lunch came she put the bill on Bradley's plate with the 
fifty-five cents. Bradley's eyes fairly danced when he saw the money, 
and he thought his business ability had been quickly rewarded. All 
at once he saw there was another piece of paper beside his plate, neatly 
folded, just like the first one. And when he opened it, what do you 
think he saw ? Why, it was a bill from his mother ! This is the way 
it read: 

Bradley owes mother — 

For being good to him nothing. 

For nursing him through his long illness with scarlet fever . nothing. 

For clothes and shoes and gloves and playthings . . . nothing. 

For all his meals and his beautiful room nothing. 

Total that Bradley owes mother nothing. 

Now what do you think that boy did when he read those words? 
Do you think he put the fifty-five cents in his pocket and went off 
whistling? I am sure you know better than that. Xo — the tears 
came into Bradley's eyes, and he put his arms around his mother's 
neck, and he placed his hand with the fifty-five cents in her hand, and 
said: "Take the money all back, mother, and just let me love you and 
do things for you for nothing." 

PRAYER 

most merciful and loving Father, Thou alone knowest how much 
we owe to Thee. For what have we that we have not received? Our 
mothers give us so much more than we can ever count, of fife, of love, 



GRATITUDE 37 

and care. But Thou givest us our mothers. Our fathers give us their 
long hours of toil, that we may have plenty to eat, to wear, and to 
enjoy. But Thou givest us our fathers. Our teachers give us daily 
strength and help as we strive to learn about Thee and about the world 
that Thou hast made. But Thou dost give us our teachers. 

Life, with all its joys and sorrows, with all its friendships, its striv- 
ings, and its victories, is Thy gift, God, to us. Teach us, our Father, 
the shame of unthankful hearts. May all that we possess of ease and 
security and friendship only make us the more eager to share our bless- 
ings with those who have made us happy, and with those, too, who have 
none of the good things of life which we enjoy. 

Hasten the time, God, when all men shall be as brothers; when all 
occasions for war and suffering shall cease; and the whole world shall 
grow into the fellowship of an eternal peace. 

In the name of the Great Teacher and Elder Brother, Jesus Christ. 

Amen. 

The Little Blind Girl* 

Everybody was very happy at the great hospital. The little blind 
girl, Ellen, whom they all loved, was going home cured. For the first 
time in her life she would be able to see her brothers and sisters who 
had played with her so often. She would be able to see her mother, 
who had taken care of her so tenderly during her years of darkness. 

"Only one more night!" Ellen said joyfully to the nurse. "How 
can I sleep at all!" 

But the good nurse sang softly to the little girl until, without in 
the least meaning to do so, she slipped quietly off to dreamland. And 
the next thing that she heard was her father's voice saying: "Come, 
little daughter, it is time to wake up. We are going to start very 
early so that the light will not hurt your eyes. The carriage will be 
ready for us as soon as you have eaten your breakfast." 

Ellen was six years old, and in all her life she had never seen the 
green grass or the trees or the shining river, whose ripples had sung 
her to sleep every night of her childhood. She knew the fragrance of 

* Adapted from Mrs. C. A. Lane, First Book of Religion. Used by permission of the 
American Unitarian Association. 



38 GRATITUDE 

the pines and the violets, and even of the swift-flowing water, but what 
all these things looked like she could not in the least imagine. And 
now she was so glad that she could really see that she forgot all about 
her months of blindness; she forgot all about the pain of the last few 
days; indeed, in her eagerness to go, she almost forgot to thank the 
good nurses and doctors who had given her her sight and whom she 
really was very sorry to leave. 

Soon they were in the carriage rolling rapidly away from the city 
along a pleasant country road. Not until then had Ellen dared to 
look at the strange world about her. It was so early that only the birds 
were awake. They were singing and calling from the bushes by the 
roadside. Here and there were long stretches of green grass. Ellen 
did not know it was grass, but it was good to look at just the same. 

"Now we must put on the shade," her father said gently. "We 
must keep your eyes fresh and bright to see mother and the baby. 
When we come to the house, you shall take it off again." 

At last, after what seemed to Ellen a long, long time, the carriage 
stopped, and the dark shade was lifted from the eager face. Suppose 
when you go home to-day you shut your eyes for a minute and try to 
fancy what it would be like never to see again! And then, when you 
open them once more, you will understand a little of what Ellen felt 
when her father took her in his arms and held her high so that she might 
look about her. 

There was the garden where she had played ever since she was a 
baby, and it was rilled with lovely flowers of all colors of the rainbow. 
Every little pebble in the path glistened and shone in the morning- 
light. Beyond was the river running swiftly beneath the willows that 
dipped their trailing branches in the cool water. There was her favor- 
ite seat in the apple-tree — and, oh ! what was that wonderful thing that 
was moving over there in the garden? "Oh, papa dear," she cried, 
"is it the cow?" The cow! My, how papa laughed and tried to 
whistle, and had to give it up because he couldn't laugh and whistle 
at the same time— for it was her own little dog that came tumbling 
over the garden fence, barking with joy because Ellen had come safely 
home again ! 

And then the house door flew open and a flock of boys and girls 



GRATITUDE 39 

ran down the path to welcome home their little sister whom they had 
missed so sadly. But papa was already striding up the steps. He could 
not wait for Ellen to make out which was Tom and which was Robert, 
and whether it was Rose or Elizabeth whose hair was like the sunshine. 
For there in the hall was an eager figure with arms outstretched, and 
little Ellen, forgetting everything else in the world, looked up, and for 
the first time saw — her mother's face ! 

PRAYER 

Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that we can see all the beauti- 
ful things which Thou hast made. Every morning we open our eyes 
to look out upon a new world in which we shall find delight. All day 
we see so many things that bring us happiness — our friends, our books, 
our pictures, and our games. And last of all, when we drop off to sleep 
at night we carry with us into the land of dreams that best gift, the 
vision of our mother's face. 

Wherever we look, Thy goodness shines forth to meet our eyes. 
And even in the hard places, the disagreeable tasks, the disappoint- 
ments, Thy hand is still guiding us. Through difficulty and temptation 
we shall be made strong. We thank Thee, our Father, for all the hard 
things which help us to be braver and kinder and more worthy of Thy 
love. So wilt Thou make us pure in heart, that we may see Thy face, 
O God. 

We would teach others about Thee. Whether as little Christians 
or as big Christians, may we help Thee in bringing to all men every- 
where the light of the knowledge of Thy glory as it is revealed to us 
in the face of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Things Done for Us 

Every morning a man comes to my house and rings the buzzer and 
asks me if I want some ice. Then he puts a piece on the dumb-waiter 
and hauls it up. All I have to do is to carry it across the hall and put 
it in the ice-box. This seemed very easy and convenient to me when I 
first began to live in an apartment-house. But the other day I began 
to wonder if it seemed so easy to the man who hauled up the heavy 



40 GRATITUDE 

pieces of ice. So I went down cellar one day, just to see for myself 
how hard it was to pull up the dumb-waiter. 

Well, it wasn't very hard to do it just once, when there was noth- 
ing on it. But the man who brings me ice has to do it hundreds 
of times every day. He starts early in the morning and pulls up dumb- 
waiters loaded with heavy ice for hours at a time, till one would think 
that his back would break. Now, he is a great, big, stalwart man, 
but how about the grocer's boys, who are so often slender little fellows ? 
They have to hurry around from one house to another all day long, 
pulling up dumb-waiters and pulling them down again, till at the end 
of the day they are all tired out. 

Why do they do it? Why, just so you and I can have our vege- 
tables and groceries and ice brought to us — just so we can have a little 
more ease and comfort for ourselves. 

The other night I was riding across town. It was very cold. It 
had been cold all day, as you remember. I had an overcoat on, and I 
sat inside the car, but I was cold even then. When I came out the 
conductor was rubbing his hands together and blowing on them and 
stamping his feet. There he stood by the open car door, right in the 
cold wind, without any overcoat. There he had stood all that cold 
day. My, how his hands must have ached ! 
"It's pretty chilly," I said to him. 
"Yes," he said. "It's pretty cold." 

Why does he do it? Why, just so you and I can ride comfortably 
almost anywhere we want to go. 

When we are cold at home all we have to do is to turn on the radi- 
ator. But did you ever stop to think that there wouldn't be any heat 
there if someone down cellar did not shovel coal into the furnaces? 
And the coal has to be hauled laboriously up the steep hills to your 
door. And the man who shovels it across the sidewalk into the cellar 
works hard from morning to night, just so you and I can keep warm. 

And that's not all of it. For the coal has to be dug up out of the 
ground. And the men who dig it dig hard all day long, down in the 
dark, damp coal-mines; and they get all dirty and black, so that it is 
almost impossible for them to get clean. Why? Just so you and I 
can have heat in our homes in winter. 



GRATITUDE 41 

And it's the same with everything we have. People are working 
hard all over the world just so we can have good things to eat and to 
wear. And sometimes they don't get any thanks for it either. 

I wonder how you would feel if, after spending hours and hours 
making something for your mother for Christmas, she should just take 
it and say nothing about it and not even show she was pleased. I 
think perhaps you might have to swallow a little lump in your throat. 
You couldn't even imagine your mother doing that, could you? How 
often do you tell her how much you think of her for doing all she does 
for you? How often do you thank the Heavenly Father for the splen- 
did things He is all the time giving you without your so much as asking 
for them? Don't you think that perhaps God is sometimes just a little 
bit sorry that we seem so ungrateful to Him? 

Do you remember what one of the Gospel stories pictures Jesus as 
saying about God? "My Father worketh even until now, and I work," 
he said. God works. Just think, if it weren't for Him there wouldn't 
be any vegetables for the grocer to bring, nor any coal for the miner 
to dig. Men who work hard are just helping Him provide for their 
needs and ours. Everything good comes from God, and all we do is 
just to help Him bring these good things to other people. 

I wonder what would happen if everybody should say "Thank you !" 
as though they meant it, to the grocer's boy, the doctor, the postman, 
the nurse, the washerwoman, the teacher, the coal man, the father, 
the mother, the sister and brother, and everyone else who helps them? 
What would happen if everyone showed he was pleased when some- 
body did something for him? I think I know one thing that would 
happen. I think the Heavenly Father would say to himself, "My King- 
dom is coming at last!" 

PRAYER 

Our Father, Thou art very good to us. We don't often stop to 
think about it, but when we do we realize how much Thou art doing 
for us all the time. It isn't so much that Thou gives t us just what 
we ask for. Sometimes that wouldn't be best for us. But we believe 
that Thou art doing what is best for us. Sometimes we don't think 
that things are going just right — just as we want them. And we for- 



42 GRATITUDE 

get that Thou art tending to things, and that Thou art bringing some- 
thing good out of everything that happens. Bad things happen. Un- 
fortunate things happen. We are sometimes responsible for a good 
deal of unhappiness and wrong. We are sorry, our Father, that we so 
hinder Thee in Thy work. 

But we are glad, oh, so glad, that out of our mistakes and wrongs 
Thou canst build something worth while after all. 

Forgive us for all the wrong we do and all the blunders we make, 
and help us to be as patient and as thoughtful for other people as Thou 
art for us. 

And all this we ask with gratitude in our hearts for Thy best gift 
to us, our Teacher and Friend, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Purring When Pleased* 

This morning I am going to tell you a story, which, if you little 
folks will listen very carefully, will, I think, show you why it is that 
we have Thanksgiving every year. 

It's a story about two kittens, a cat, a little boy, and a little girl. 

Once upon a time there were two kittens. One was Puss Missy 
and the other Puss Master. Now, Puss Missy was an affectionate little 
creature. It seemed sometimes as though she could hardly contain 
her joy, she purred so loudly when anything nice happened. But 
Puss Master scarcely ever purred at all. 

Perhaps that was partly his mother's fault. She never purred 
much herself. But, then, she had had so much trouble. Cats generally 
have. Their kittens are taken away from them so often. And they get 
hissed about the house, and the dogs chase them so much. 

So she and her daughter used to disagree on the subject. Every 
morning, for instance, when the curly-headed boy brought the kittens 
a saucer of milk, Puss Missy was sure to be there, singing her loudest 
and best, while Puss Master just took the milk as a matter of course, 
and said nothing about it. 

Now, this is what the mother cat called keeping up one's dignity 
and self-respect. " Wretched little creature," she would say to poor 

* Adapted from Mrs. Alfred Gatty, Parables from Nature. Used by permission of James 
Pott & Co. 



GRATITUDE 43 

Puss Missy — who would be still purring with pleasure in front of the 
fire — "what in the world are you making all that noise and fuss about? 
I am ashamed to see you make yourself so cheap by showing gratitude 
for every little trifle. Have a little more esteem for your own character, 
I do beg. What is to become of self-respect if people are to purr when- 
ever they are pleased?" 

Puss Missy, of course, would make a desperate effort to keep up her 
dignity and self-respect, and resolve a thousand times to purr no more. 
But it was all in vain. As soon as anything happened to make her 
happy and comfortable — throb went the little throat, and there she 
was purring again. 

And there were many temptations. The little girl, who was the 
little boy's cousin, would take Puss Missy in her lap and stroke her so 
gently that she could not help purring. Or the boy would tie a string 
to the table drawer, with a spool on the end of it. And the spool would 
swing beautifully so the kittens could paw at it and pat it. Why, 
just to watch it twist and swing would make one purr with delight. 

At last a change came in the kittens' lives. One day the little boy 
caught up the kittens and rushed with them to his pale cousin. " Cousin, 
they're going to give us the kittens for our very own. Just tell me which 
you like best. I'm so afraid you won't choose for yourself when they 
ask you, and, if I choose, I want to know which you'd rather have so I 
won't take the wrong one." 

"Oh, I like them both," answered the girl, in the indifferent tone 
she usually used. "So do I," replied her cousin, "but I know which I 
like best for all that, and so must you, only you won't say. I wonder 
whether you really want one anyway. I'll tell you, you just smile when 
the one you like best goes by." 

But his efforts were in vain. He passed the kittens before her 
eyes, and showed her all their pretty markings. But the little girl 
wouldn't even smile. 

And so, when the first choice fell to the girl later on, it turned out 
just as the boy was afraid it would. Instead of saying "Thank you," 
and being pleased at the favor, all she would say was: "I like them 
both very well. It doesn't matter which I have." 

And so the boy had to choose. He tried again to get some sign 



44 GRATITUDE 

from his cousin, which she liked best, but he had to give it up. and finally 
he cried in vexation: "Then I "11 take Puss Missy. I like her much the 
best, because she purrs when she is pleased.*' 

Some days afterward, when the boy was out, his mother came sud- 
denly upon the little girl, who was all by herself in the room, crying and 
crying over Puss Missy. Puss Missy was purring loudly all the time. 
but Puss Master lay asleep and unnoticed by the fire. And when her 
aunt asked her what the trouble was. she said: "It is so miserable to 
play with a kitten who won't purr when he is pleased. '' 

Then when her aunt put her arms around her and tried to comfort 
her. it came over her all of a sudden that she herself had been just like 
Puss Master all along, and she saw how much happier everybody is, 
and how much happier they make everyone else, if they only purr when 
they are pleased. 

PRAYER 

God. our Heavenly Father, we rejoice and give thanks for all 
Thy wonderful works. Thou dost indeed deal with us not according 
to our desert but according to Thy great love for us. Thou hast -abun- 
dantly blessed the labor of those who work hi garden and field and 
orchard. The golden harvests are gathered in. Bountiful provision 
for the winter's need awaits us. And we are glad. 

As we have prayed for our daily bread, so have we prayed for the 
coming of Thy Kingdom, that all Thy children may have more abun- 
dant fife. Keep us from selfishly claiming Thy blessings for ourselves 
and refusing to share them with others. 

We thank Thee for the blessedness of giving. We thank Thee that 
we are able to give, for it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive. 

May our Thanksgiving Day be a day of great rejoicing in the land. 
We will make merry and be glad, for we cannot escape from Thy loving- 
kindness. 

And now. Father, for all that we have received from Thee and 
for all that by Thy grace we have been led to give away, we give Thee 
the thanks, through Christ, our Lord. Aviex. 



GRATITUDE 45 



Music 

Have you ever thought how many different kinds of music there 
are? We have music to dance by and music which makes us feel like 
sliding off to dreamland. Some music makes us happy and some makes 
us sad. When we need rest, there is the soft music to still our hurry 
and strain, and to guide our thoughts into pleasant places. And when 
we need courage and hope, there is strong music to make us strong and 
send us on our way rejoicing. Some music sets us to dreaming of won- 
derland and magic and fairies or to planning great plans and building 
castles in the air. 

Lately, you remember, we have been planning to do something 
worth doing, something which may well be expected of the children of 
God. So to-day Mr. C is going to play us a piece of music that will 
just make us eager to do something worth while. It is by Boelmann, 
the French composer.* 

We can't take the music home with us. But we can take the mem- 
ory of it, if we listen very carefully while he plays it. And during the 
week, when we feel tired or lazy or don't seem to care much about 
doing our daily duties, let's remember this bit of music by Boelmann, 
and then we will be ready once more to work and to be glad. 

PRAYER 

(After the Organ) 

For the joy of life, our Father, for all things beautiful and true, 
for the sound of rain in summer woods and the whispering murmur of 
the trees, for homes, for friends and playmates, for the music of laughter 
and singing, for songs of hope and gladness, and all the glorious music 
of Thy world, we thank Thee, God, our strength and our Redeemer. 

Amen. 
The Ungrateful Self 

For a few Sundays let's think together about our different kinds of 
selves. Sometimes it seems as though we had several different sorts 
of persons inside of us, each trying to crowd out the others. When we 

* Minuet from The Gothic Suite. 



46 GRATITUDE 

get angry and say something mean, that's one kind. When we throw 
ourselves with all our energy into a basket-ball game, that's another 
kind. When we do our work in school, that's another kind. Some 
of the selves are good and some are bad, and the good and the bad are 
always struggling for mastery. Yet we have a feeling that, however 
much we may let the bad self rule us, it is the best self that is truly 
our own. 

Did you know that there are people in the world who have actually 
grown up without a sense of gratitude; who have never felt grateful to 
anyone; who don't seem to have any grateful self? There are some 
people like that. I was reading a story the other day about one who 
lived a long time ago. 

*Among the soldiers of King Philip of Macedon there was one who 
had shown himself especially brave. The King had come to trust him 
with important duties. On one occasion the King had despatched him 
on an errand to a country across the sea. The vessel had hardly left 
the port before a storm came up, and it was driven back upon the rocks 
and wrecked. All on board were lost except this one soldier. He was 
washed upon the shore, but he would have died there had it not 
been for the kindness of a poor farmer who lived close by. He picked 
up the soldier and took him to his own cottage and took care of him 
until he had revived. 

As the soldier left he thanked the farmer for his kindness, and prom- 
ised to come back and pay him for the expense and trouble to which 
he had been put. But he didn't really mean to keep his promise. In- 
stead, he went to King Philip and said, "I know of a certain farm down 
by the shore which I would like to have for my own." "Who owns it 
now?" asked the King. "Only a poor farmer, who has never done any- 
thing for his country," said the soldier. And then, as the custom was 
in those days, the King told the soldier he could have the farm for his 
own. So the soldier went back as fast as he could and drove the farmer 
out and took possession of the place. 

The poor farmer felt very badly, not merely to lose his land but 
also because the soldier had gone back on him after the kindness he had 

* Adapted from Baldwin, J., Fifty Famous Stories Retold. Copyright, 1896, by the 
American Book Co. Used by permission of the publishers. 



GRATITUDE 47 

shown him. So he went to the King and told him the whole story. 
When the King heard it he was very angry at the soldier. He sent for 
him to come at once to the palace, and when he was brought before him 
he ordered that these words be branded upon his forehead: "The Un- 
grateful Guest." 

When we see that self approaching on whose brow are branded the 
words, "The Ungrateful Self," let us summon the forces of our better 
selves and say to this intruder: "You can't come in!" 

The Snobbish Self 

Jesus once told a story about two men who went up into the temple 
to pray; the one was a Pharisee and the other a publican — just a nobody. 
The Pharisee walked 'way up front and prayed in a loud voice, saying: 
"0 God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people — thieves, mur- 
derers, common people — nor yet like this nobody back here. I go to 
church, I give money to the poor, I say my prayers, I am eminently 
respectable." 

But the publican stood far back in the temple and did not so much 
as raise his eyes. But he smote his breast, saying in a low voice, "Lord 
have mercy upon me, a sinner." 

"This man, rather than the other," Jesus added, "went home with 
the peace of God in his heart." 

What do we call a Pharisee nowadays? Why, we call him a snob. 
A snob is a person who thinks that for some reason or other he's better 
than somebody else. Maybe he thinks so because of his money, or 
his social position, or the clothes he wears, or because he's a little older, 
or a little more skilful, or because he goes to one school rather than to 
some other, or because he behaves in a certain way at table. Down 
in his heart, and usually in his manner, he says, "Thank God I'm not 
like ordinary folks." 

Probably all of us have at some time or other found ourselves at a 
party with a plate of cookies in our hands. What did we do with it? 
Did we run off into a corner and sit down and eat them all up? And 
then at the end of the party did we say to our hostess, "I've had a 
splendid time. I'm so glad I had some cookies, even though the rest 
didn't have any, and I thank you for giving them to me"? What did 



48 GRATITUDE 

we really do ? Why, we just passed them around. And then when the 
time came to go home we said to our hostess, with a clear conscience, 
" Thank you for letting me pass the cookies. We've all had a fine 
time.' , 

We all wake up some day to find ourselves with a plate of cookies 
in our hands. It may be money, or talent of one kind or another; it 
may be a beautiful home and a fine family; it may be experience or skill, 
or beauty or strength, or even just a few years of life which we have 
managed to live through ahead of somebody else. Shall we take the 
plate and go off into a corner somewhere and enjoy it all by ourselves, 
and then go to God and thank Him because, although others were empty- 
handed, yet we had enough ? Or shall we just pass it around, and then 
thank Him for the privilege and the fun of passing it around — and then 
when we come to the very end of our party shall we be able to say to 
Him, with a clear conscience. "We all had a good time"? 

PRAYER 

God, our Father, we know that Thou dost love all men. In Thy 
sight all of us here on earth are brothers and sisters in one great human 
family. Forgive us, our Father, if we have put ourselves above any- 
one in our own thoughts. Only Thou dost know how much better or 
how much worse we are than other people. May we guard ourselves 
against the proud gratitude that makes us feel glad because we are 
better off than our brothers. 

We are glad that each one of us is one of the many millions of men 
and women and children on this earth of Thine; that each is included 
in Thy plan for the world, and that each one of us shares in the good 
things that Thou hast given to the world. 

And if Thou hast made us custodians of any special property or gift 
or capacity, help us to share it with our brothers and sisters, and so to 
discharge our responsibility as faithful stewards of Thy bounty. 

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 



GOODWILL 49 

GOODWILL 

Personal Service 

Last Sunday we were thinking together about what we might do as 
a school, or as classes, to help along the work of the Kingdom of God, 
to show that we really are good citizens of God's world. We didn't 
say anything then about what we could do as individuals. There is 
still the great question of how each of us, all by himself, can play the 
part of a good citizen. Perhaps this is not such an easy question to 
answer as the other, but I am sure that it is just as important. We 
all want to know what we can do to help in this great undertaking in 
which we have enlisted. 

I'm going to tell you a story this morning which I think will help 
you answer this hard question. It is a story by Leo Tolstoi,* the great 
Russian count, and it is about a King who wanted to rule his kingdom 
well. 

This King thought he would be able to succeed if he knew the answers 
to three questions. The first was : What is the right time to begin any- 
thing? The second: Who are the most important people? The third: 
What is the most important thing to do? 

So he called all his wise men together, but each one answered the 
questions differently and confused the King more than ever. Finally, 
he heard of a hermit who lived all by himself in the woods and who was 
said to be very wise. So the King took off his royal robes, dressed him- 
self in simple clothes, and rode off to find the hermit. Before reaching 
the hermit's house the King dismounted from his horse and left it with 
his body-guard and went on alone. 

When the King came up the hermit was digging in the ground by his 
hut. He was frail and weak, and breathed hard as he dug. The King 
went up to him and said, "I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you 
three questions. First: What is the right time to do everything? Second: 
Who are the most important people? And third: What is the most 
important thing to do?" 

The hermit listened to the King, but answered nothing. 

* Adapted from "Three Questions," as found in Cabot, E. L., Ethics for Children. 



50 GOODWILL 

"You are tired/' said the King; "let me take the spade and work 
a while for you." 

"Thank you/' said the hermit; and, giving the spade to the King, 
he sat down on the ground. 

When the King had dug a little while he stopped and repeated his 
questions. But the hermit only said, "Now rest a while and let me 
work." But the King continued to dig. Hour after hour passed, and 
at last the sun began to sink behind the trees. Then the King stuck 
the spade into the ground and said, "I came to you, wise man, for an 
answer to my questions. If you can give me none, tell me so, and I 
will return home." 

"See, here comes someone running," said the hermit. "Let us see 
who it is." 

The King turned and saw a man running out of the wood. The man 
held his hands pressed against his side and blood was flowing from 
under them. When he reached the King he fell to the ground, fainting. 
The King and the hermit hastened to stop the blood, and bound up the 
man's wound and carried him to the hut. By this time the King was so 
tired that he fell asleep, and did not wake up till morning. 

When he woke he saw the man gazing intently at him, and then the 
man said, "Forgive me!" 

"I do not know you and have nothing to forgive you for," answered 
the King. 

"But I know you," said the man. "I had followed you into the wood 
in order to kill you, for I thought you had wronged my brother. But 
your guard caught me and wounded me. I escaped from him, but I 
would have died if you had not taken care of me. Forgive me !" 

The King was glad indeed to make peace with the man, and he 
forgave him at once. And then when he had taken leave of him he went 
out to find the hermit. He was outside, sowing seeds where they had 
dug the day before. 

"For the last time," said the King, "I pray you to answer my ques- 
tions." 

"You have already been answered," said the hermit. 

"How answered? What do you mean?" asked the King. 

"Do you not see?" replied the hermit. "If you had not pitied my 
weakness yesterday, and had not dug these beds for me, I should have 



GOODWILL 51 

fainted with the work, and, further, you would have been attacked by 
that man. So the most important time was when you were digging 
the beds, and I was the most important person, and to help me was your 
most important business. Then, afterward, when that man ran up, 
the most important time was when you were caring for him, for if you 
had not bound up his wounds then he would have died. So he was the 
most important person, and what you did for him was the most impor- 
tant thing to do. 

"Remember, then," continued the hermit, "the one time that is 
most important is — Now! Not to-morrow. Not the next day. But now. 
And the most important person is the one with whom you are, for no 
man knows whether he will ever be with anyone else. And the most 
important thing to do is to help that person, because for that purpose 
alone was man sent into this life! " 

PRAYER 

O God, our Heavenly Father, as we try to share in Thy work we 
realize how much there is to do, and how much Thou art doing all the 
time, which we do not know anything about. 

Even as the great sun silently and quietly fills the whole earth with 
light and warmth, and makes all things grow, so dost Thou perform 
Thy mighty works, so quietly that we sometimes forget that Thou art 
working, working all the time, helping us every minute, caring for the 
little children right in the house where we live, making young men 
strong and old men wise and kind. 

Thou art our Father, and we would grow up to be like Thee, always 
helping somebody, quietly and thoughtfully, always glad to give our 
strength in friendly and cheerful service. 

We realize that all too often we are not cheerful in helping our 
mothers. We do not always think how we may be good to our small 
brothers and sisters, or help our big brothers and sisters. We often 
selfishly refuse to do things for our friends, although we know that we 
could easily make them happy. We are sorry, our Father, and we ask 
that Thou wilt help us to be more thoughtful for others and more cheer- 
ful in all our duties. 

So may we be worthy of Thy love, worthy to be called Thy children. 

We ask it in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 



52 GOODWILL 

Getting Ready for Christmas 

Nineteen days to Christmas ! I wonder how many of us are ready 
for Christmas ! Each year seems to find us unprepared, and then be- 
gins the hustle, the worrying and fretting, the fuming and fidgeting, 
so that by Christmas we are all tired out. Maybe we have missed 
something of what " getting ready for Christmas" means. Let me tell 
you about three things to do in getting ready. 

The first is to plan to make the friends whom we know happy. It 
doesn't matter so much how we do it — a call, perhaps, or a card, or a 
note, or a gift we have made or picked out — it doesn't matter so long 
as into each gift there goes something of the affection we feel. 

And the second thing is to plan to make some friends whom we 
don't know happy. Jesus said: If ye do good to those who love you, 
what do ye more than others? Did you ever notice how short the 
biography of Jesus is? Just a few pages — and yet how packed full 
it is of what he did for people he didn't know. Every day he did 
something for someone he never saw before and would never see 
again. 

It is Christmas we are getting ready for. Let's try to make some- 
one happy whom we do not know. 

The third thing is to have the Christmas spirit in all our prepara- 
tion. What a mockery is Christmas when we get all tired and cross 
and worried about it; when the people who most need it haven't got it; 
when there are so many who are overworked and so many who haven't 
any work! Is Christmas alive or dead? 

All along the Connecticut Valley there are many apple-trees. I 
am very fond of apple-trees, perhaps partly because they are easy to 
climb. But I like them, too, for the apples in the fall, and for the won- 
derful lace work of twigs and branches silhouetted against the winter 
sky. But I like them best for their blossoms. Each spring there comes 
a time when they seem to blossom all at once, and the Sunday nearest 
this time the people call " White Sunday." If one stands up on a hill 
and looks across the valley he sees great masses of white as far as the 
eye can reach. The awakening life has blossomed forth in the glory 
of spring. 



GOODWILL 53 

Christmas is a sort of " White Sunday," a time when the human 
spirit is at its best, a blossoming forth of the tree of life. But when an 
apple-tree is dead there are no blossoms on it. If the Christmas spirit 
is not a living force in our lives all the year around, how can there be 
any real Christmas at all? 

The Road to Christmas 

Introduction to "The March of the Magi Kings" 

Three weeks from next Thursday is Christmas day. And two weeks 
from next Friday is the beginning of our Christmas festival. It hardly 
seems possible, does it? 

Do you remember the story about the Wise Men from the East — 
how for days and days they rode across the desert, following the won- 
derful star, until they came to the birthplace of Jesus? We have a 
star, too, the star of God's providence; and it is leading us nearer and 
nearer to Christmas day. 

Let's play that we are the Magi Kings these next few weeks, and 
that we are all travelling together across the days to Christmas. And 
we are going to bring presents for the Master just as they did, and we 
are going to give our presents to some of his friends. 

To-day Mr. C is going to play a piece of music called "The March 
of the Magi Kings," by Dubois. Now, if we are going to be the Magi 
Kings, this will be our march, won't it? And the star? How about 
the star? Well, that is here, too. It's right in the music, leading the 
great chords onward, just as it led the Wise Men themselves. You 
see if you can hear it. And, as Mr. C plays, let's all start out together 
on our journey to Christmas. 

PRAYER 
(After the Organ) 

O Thou who leadest us to our Christ, we thank Thee for the Christ- 
mas season. 

We thank Thee for all the glad rejoicing that the Master has brought 
to the world. At His gracious touch dead hopes arise, sorrows flee 
away, and those that sit in the darkness of selfishness see the great 



54 GOODWILL 

light of God's holy love. Nations are coming to Thy light and kings 
to the brightness of Thy rising, Thou Friend of Man. For in the 
face of Jesus have they seen the light of the knowledge of the glory of 
God. 

May the spirit of cheer and hope and unselfish devotion possess the 
hearts of all Thy children. And may all that we ourselves do as we 
travel over the days to Christmas — our shopping, our giving, our visit- 
ing, our playing and working and helping — be done in the spirit of 
our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Quarrels 

i. John and Ivan 
Matt. 5 : 21, 22a, 38-48 

It happened over on the East Side. People were running from all 
directions. The passer-by ran, too, and soon found a big crowd col- 
lected around an open space in the street where two boys stood facing 
each other. The crowd was jeering and cheering, crying: "Go to it, 
John; beat him up. Oh, you're a coward!" "Give him another, 
Ivan." But, strange to say, there didn't seem to be any fight going on. 
John just stood there. "Ivan hit him," said someone in explanation. 
"You see, John's been here quite a while, maybe two years; but Ivan 
has just come over, and he wants to show 'em that he's just as good as 
anybody. So he struck John to try to make him fight. But John 
won't." 

After they had grown tired of waiting, the crowd gradually disap- 
peared. They had urged and goaded and nagged and called names, 
but John wouldn't fight. He just stood there with his arm held tight 
at his side, anger and scorn written all over his face, but saying to him- 
self: "I won't, I won't, I won't." 

When everybody had gone the passer-by went up to John and said, 
"Why wouldn't you fight?" 

"Well," said John, "I wanted to like everything, but I learned in 
Sunday school that a Christian won't hit back." 

It sounds like a made-up story, but it isn't. It really happened. 
And I think John did well not to fight. He didn't have anybody to 



GOODWILL 55 

help him. He was all alone. He was angry. He wanted to hit back. 
But he knew he ought not to, and he had courage enough to stand his 
ground. 

Jesus, you remember, said something about not hitting back. But 
he said some other things, too, some of which even John forgot. I 
read them to you a moment ago. During this week see if you can dis- 
cover something Jesus said that John forgot. And next Sunday I'll 
tell you about some other boys who almost had a fight but didn't. 

PRAYER 

Our Father in Heaven, we know that Thou desirest that men should 
live together in unity and peace. We know how awful a thing is war. 
And yet if it seems so horrible to us who know so little, how much more 
horrible is it to Thee who dost know every pain, who dost share the 
burden of every broken heart, who must endure the disappointment 
and strain of a world gone wrong. 

Canst Thou forgive us, our Father, for adding to all this burden 
our own petty striving and quarrelling and fretful fault-finding? 

Teach us to love peace for Thy sake. And when we are tempted to 
answer back, or to be provoked or angry, or to complain about things, 
or whenever we feel like provoking someone else, help us then, our 
Father, to remember that we are followers of Christ and that Christians 
do not do these things. Amen. 

Quarrels 

2. George and Willie* 

On one of those rare warm days we sometimes have in April two boys 
were playing marbles. The name of one was George and the name of 
the other, Willie. The place where they were playing happened to be 
right near the house where George lived. George's mother was sitting 
by the open window. Presently, as the game went on, she heard George 
say: "Aw, you cheated." "I didn't either," said Willie. "You did." 
"I didn't." "You did." "I didn't." "You did." By that time 

* Adapted from Bayley, F. T., Little Ten Minutes, "A Quarrel at Marbles and What 
Stopped It." Used by permission of the Fleming H. Re veil Co. 



56 GOODWILL 

the game had stopped and it looked as though there would be a tight 
the next minute. 

But just then the boys heard George's mother calling from the win- 
dow: ''Sing it, boys, sing it." And before they knew it this strange 
song came from the house. I can't sing it very well, but it was some- 
thing like this: "Oh, Willie, you cheated! Oh. Willie, you cheated! 
Oh, Willie, you cheated! But I didn't cheat you." u 'Sing it, boys," 
she said. 

The boys had begun to smile by this time and to look sort of sheep- 
ish. They couldn't very well fight now. so in half a minute the game 
was going again as though nothing had happened. 

Well, John and Ivan didn't fight either. Do you remember what 
Jesus said about being angry? John wouldn't fight because he knew 
he ought not to. and he did well not to; but he wanted to. all the same. 
He didn't stop being angry, and I don't believe George and Willie 
would even have stopped fighting if it hadn't been for George's mother. 
She taught them a new way to stop fighting, and that was to stop want- 
ing to. George and Willie stopped being angry. They discovered that 
they couldn't be angry and good-natured at the same time. The mo- 
ment they tried to sing the mean things they were thinking and saying 
they found they didn't want to say them, that ugly words can't be sung. 

And so now we have two ways of avoiding fights. They are both 
good ways. But the best way of all I'll tell you about next Sunday. 

Quarrels 

3. Two Monks* 
I Cor. 13 

On the hills of Europe are the ruins of many monasteries. A long 
time asro men who were called monks lived in these monasteries. The 
best of these monks did a great many wonderful things. Some of them 
painted great pictures which we still admire. Some wrote and played 
and sang music which we still love. Some spent years in making copies 
of the Bible, doing all the lettering by hand, before there were any 
printing-presses. and these beautiful manuscripts can still be seen in 

* Adapted from Bayley, F. T., Little Ten Minutes, "Two Monks Who Tried to Quarrel." 
Used by permission of the Fleming H. Revell Co. 



GOODWILL 57 

the museums. Many of the monks often went down to the villages 
'round about, reading and preaching to the people and helping them in 
various ways. Altogether, they lived a peaceful, happy, and useful life. 

One day one of these monks said to another, "Let's have a quarrel !" 
"A quarrel?" said his friend. " What's a quarrel? I'm sure I don't 
know how to quarrel." "Very well," said the first monk, "I'll show 
you." So the first monk tried to show the second one how to quarrel. 

"Now, you see this brick," he said. "We will place it on the ground 
between us. Then I will say: 'This brick is mine.' Then you must 
say: 'Oh, no ! It is mine.' Then I will say: 'But I say it is mine,' and 
so we shall have a quarrel." "All right," said the second monk, "let's 
begin." 

So the first monk put a brick down on the ground. "Do you see 
that brick? Well, it's mine." "Oh, no," said the other, "it is mine." 
"But I tell you it is mine," shouted the first monk. "Well, then," said 
the other, "well, then — take it!" They had forgotten how to quarrel. 

How often we quarrel over petty little trifles. We think that war 
is a terrible* thing, and yet war is just quarrelling and fighting on a big 
scale — and sometimes things that nations quarrel about are just trifles. 
If people could only forget how to quarrel there wouldn't be any more 
war. 

John, you remember, did not fight Ivan. He knew he ought not to, 
and he controlled his arm. But still he was angry. 

George and Willie did not fight. They got control of their anger 
by trying to be good-natured. 

The monks did not fight. They had forgotten how. They had 
lived so long in friendliness and peace that it was impossible for them 
even to get angry. 

Jesus said: First, don't hit back; second, don't be angry, even in 
your heart; third, love even your enemies, and do good to those who 
do you harm, as well as to those who are good to you, so that you may 
be children of your Heavenly Father. Love conquereth all things. 
Let's all forget how to quarrel. 



58 GOODWILL 



PRAYER 



Father in Heaven, forgive us that we are so ready to quarrel. For- 
give us for the unfriendly words that have escaped our lips and burned 
into the hearts of our friends. Our angry and spiteful thoughts go 
jarring and jangling through the courts of heaven, and we are ashamed. 

Make us lovers of peace and concord. So fill our hearts with kind- 
ness and goodwill that there will be no room in our lives for envy or 
scorn or hate. 

Bring peace speedily, God, to our suffering world. May men 
everywhere come to the knowledge of Thy love, that they may over- 
come hatred and prejudice, and make real on earth Thy Kingdom of 
Righteousness and Peace. 

And this we ask in the name of Jesus our Master. Amen. 

A Christmas Story 

I am going to tell you a Christmas story this morning. It may 
not seem like a Christmas story at first, because it happened last Octo- 
ber. You have all heard it or one like it. For the really big part of 
the story is true of many people. It is about a man who all the year 
'round lived in the spirit of Christmas. 

His name was William Rugh, and his home was Gary, Indiana. He 
was born a cripple. So he never grew big and tall like other boys. 
About the only thing he could do was to sell newspapers. But he did 
that so well that he and his deaf-and-dumb partner had worked up a 
quite flourishing business. Everybody liked him. Many would go far 
out of their way to buy a paper of him, because they did not want to 
miss his cheery "Good morning" and his happy smile. In spite of his 
physical deformity, he had a pleasant word for everyone. 

One day he heard that there was a girl in the hospital in Gary who 
had been so badly burned that she was not likely to five. The only 
thing that could save her life was some skin from the body of a living 
person to replace what had been destroyed. William Rugh was the 
one who offered to help. He told the physicians that they might have 
his crippled leg. Not so much to give, perhaps, just a useless limb. 



GOODWILL 59 

But he knew that to have even this withered limb removed was a grave 
risk to his own frail life. And he gladly took the risk for the sake of 
someone he had never seen. "I want to be of use to somebody," he 
said. And he was of use. But he never recovered from the operation. 
Was he filled with regret, then, to feel that he had given a life when he 
intended to give only a useless limb ? Not at all. Almost his last words 
were of thankfulness that he could have really been of use to somebody* 
"I'm glad I did it, Doc," he said. "I'm glad I'm some use after all." 
And the girl did not die. 

For such a deed of perfect devotion and of heroic chivalry, what 
more beautiful memorial could there be than the living form and the 
eternal gratitude of the one who was thus saved through his sacrifice? 

" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his 
life for his friends." That's what William Rugh did. 

Nineteen centuries ago someone else did it. And since then many 
others have followed his example. Before Jesus came people did not 
often think it worth while to do much for others. In many places 
they would have scoffed at William Rugh. But when Jesus taught 
men what a wonderful thing it is just to give — just to give without bother- 
ing about the getting — then men began to honor and admire those who 
forgot themselves in glad devotion to the needs of others. It is because 
Jesus lived that thousands of men and women and children all over 
the world can unite to-day, not to mock, but to honor and revere and to 
love the hero of Gary. In the life of William Rugh there was present 
the spirit of him whose coming we to-day are celebrating, the spirit of 
him who gave himself that all men might have a more abundant, larger, 
happier, worthier life. And so, you see, that's why I called this a Christ- 
mas story. 

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER 

Our Heavenly Father, we are glad that Christmas comes every year. 
The thought of Christmas and of all that it means fills us so full of good 
cheer and goodwill that we can step out into the new year with eager- 
ness and confidence and a kindly feeling for everyone. We like to have 
people give us things. We are glad in knowing that they love us. But 
we are glad most of all that we are able to give things to our friends, to 



60 GOODWILL 

show them that we love them. Sometimes we cannot give much, but Thou 
hast taught us, our Father, that the greatest gift in the world is Love. 

In the joy of Christmas, amid all the excitement and the glitter of 
gifts and candles, in our good times at home and in the fellowship of 
friends, may we not forget, most merciful Father, those who have no 
Christmas ! May we not forget the many, many boys and girls and 
men and women for whom Christmas is full of toil and hardship and 
sad memories — the many who have no money to buy gifts with, no 
friends to buy them for, no Christmas tree, no home, no comfort. 

Oh, may the glow of the Christmas spirit not grow cold as we think 
of them! But rather may the warm fire of goodwill, which the joy 
of Christmas has kindled in our hearts, burn more brightly, and spread 
abroad its warmth and cheer to those who are lonely and hungry and cold. 

So shall little deeds of kindness fall like snowflakes from the sky 
and cover the earth with a garment of white; and in the glorious sun- 
light of God's love all things shall sparkle and glitter and shine with 
the spirit of Christmas. 

And as we offer our prayer we think of Jesus, whom we love, who 
came as the first Christmas gift to the world, and in whose face we have 
seen the light of the knowledge of Thy glory. Amen. 

The Fir-Tree That Found Something to Do 

A Christmas Story* 

Far away in the woods of Maine stood a small evergreen- tree. It 
was the kind of tree that some persons call fir and others balsam. 

This little tree had a beautiful home. It was surrounded by tall 
trees — oaks and hemlocks and pines and spruces. Squirrels scam- 
pered through its branches, and at its feet flowed a cool brook in which 
speckled trout darted and leaped. 

But this little fir-tree was sad, and I will tell you why. That day 
a gentleman wandering through the woods with his young son had 
stopped near the little fir-tree. The boy was asking about all the trees. 
"What kind of tree is that?" said he. "That," replied the father, 
"is 'an oak-tree." "And what is it used for?" said the boy. The 

*A story told by Professor George A. Coe at the Christmas celebration of the Union 
School of Religion, 1913. 



GOODWILL 61 

father replied: "It will be cut down next winter and sawn into boards, 
and at last it will turn into doors, and door-cases, and window-casings, 
and such things." 

Then the little fir-tree said to itself: "Oh, I wish I were an oak-tree, 
so that I could be a door, and swing to and fro, and let people in from 
the cold!" 

"And what is that tall tree there?" said the boy. The father re- 
plied: "That is a spruce- tree. It will be cut down next winter and made 
into a tall mast to help move a great ship across the ocean." 

Then the little fir-tree said to itself: "Oh, I wish I were a spruce- tree, 
so that I could be a mast to help move a great ship across the ocean." 

Then the boy asked: "And what will they do with this little tree 
here?" The little fir-tree held its breath. 

The father said: "They can't make good timber out of fir-trees; 
and, anyway, this one is too small." 

Now you know why the little fir-tree was so sad. It said to itself, 
"Oh, I wish I were bigger, and I wish I were somebody else, so that I 
could be good for something. I'd like to be a door, to swing to and fro, 
and let people in out of the cold, or a mast to help move a great ship 
across the ocean. But I'm nothing but a little fir-tree." 

The next winter men came and cut down the great oak-tree to help 
build a house, and they cut down the tall spruce-tree to help make a 
ship; but they passed the little fir-tree by. 

One day, however, two other men came, carrying axes on their 
shoulders. One of them said, "There's a good one," pointing straight 
to the little fir-tree. "Oh," said the little fir-tree, "I wonder what they 
mean. I wonder what I'm good for." One of the men cut the little 
fir-tree down, and then they tied it up and put it with other fir-trees 
into a wagon. In a little while the trees were taken from the wagon 
and put into a railroad-car. For days and days they journeyed through 
snow-covered fields until at last they reached a great city where they 
were placed on the sidewalk in front of a market. 

Then the sad little fir-tree was put into a wagon again and taken 
up a hill. All the time it was saying to itself: "I wonder what they're 
going to do with me. I suspect I'm good for something, but I don't 
see what it is." 



62 GOODWILL 

Just then the wagon stopped in front of a great stone building. The 
little hr-tree was taken into the building and up a flight of stairs. There 
its limbs were untied, and in a moment it found itself standing in the 
middle of a large square room. The little fir-tree noticed that the wood- 
work of this room was all of oak. Then it said, "Dear me ! I wish I 
were an oak-tree!" 

By this time the little fir-tree was weary. So it went to sleep for 
a while. When it waked up it felt queer. So it looked down at itself, 
and there it found festoons of silver tinsel stretching from branch to 
branch, and little shiny balls and other baubles hanging on twigs; and 
running among the branches was a mysterious green cord with little 
colored glass bulbs upon it; and there, on some of the lower limbs, and 
on the floor underneath, were dolls, and balls, and picture-books, and 
other toys, and warm mittens for little hands, and packages wrapped 
up in paper. The little fir-tree could only guess what was inside. "My I 
my!" said the little fir-tree, "I feel that I'm beginning to be good for 
something." 

It went to sleep again, and when it waked up the room was all dark. 
But music was sounding softly. It was the voices of children singing 
in the distance about a baby and its mother and about a love that fills 
earth and heaven. "I wonder," said the little fir-tree, " whether I have 
any part in this love that fills earth and heaven." 

Presently it heard a crowd of little feet moving in the dark, and 
there were children's voices whispering as if something were about to 
happen. The little fir-tree became excited. Just then all the glass 
bulbs among the branches began to shine. There were sparkles of red, and 
green, and blue, and white; and in an instant the whole tree was aglow. 
The little children clapped their hands and shouted and danced with 
glee, and the little fir-tree became so happy that it wanted to dance, too. 

Late that night, when everybody had gone home and all the lights 
were out, the little fir-tree, once so sad, began to laugh quietly and to 
sing to itself, and this is what it sang: 

" God has for everyone some use; 
He has a plan for me. 
Though I cannot be an oak or spruce, 
I can be a Christmas tree ! " 



GOODWILL 63 



Resolutions 



Mr. Santa Claus is not the only one who is being neglected nowa- 
days. Mr. New Year's Resolution and all his many brothers and 
sisters seem to be getting old-fashioned, too. I don't hear about them 
as much as I used to. Along about January first I sometimes see one 
or two of the family and hear about some of the others who have turned 
up after a long absence. But by February most of these have disap- 
peared. No one seems to know just where they go. I suppose the rea- 
son we can't keep them for our friends is that we are fickle. We don't 
stand by them and stick to them. Fickleness destroys friendship. 
But of course there are a few we always keep. Let me tell you the 
names of some. You will all recognize them. 

First. I will be on time for breakfast every morning. Is he a 
friend of yours ? 

Second. When I promise to do a thing, I'll do it. He's not always 
a pleasant companion, but the better you know him the better you 
like him. 

Third. I will not say anything mean about anybody. He's been 
a good friend of mine, and has stood me in good stead many a time. 

Fourth. Perhaps you hadn't thought of this being a member of 
the Resolution family, but, when you come to think of it, it is. Listen: 
"I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." 

Fifth. This doesn't sound like a resolution either, but it really 
is one of the finest of all. "The man worth while is the man with a 
smile when everything goes dead wrong." If you don't know this 
fellow, make his acquaintance and stick to him. He'll help you out of 
many a scrape. 

Sixth. The last one is the best of all. " Forgetting the things that 
are behind, I press on." Notice, that doesn't say to forget everything — 
only the things that are behind, the bad things, the unworthy things, 
the disappointments and failures. The good things, the hopes and 
pleasures and dreams and achievements and plans — these are not be- 
hind us. Some are 'way ahead of us, pulling us on to better and nobler 
things. Toward these we press on, into the year that lies before us. 



64 GOODWILL 

Tennyson has put this resolution into a poem. Let me read it to 

you. 

" Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, 
The flying cloud, the frosty light; 
The year is dying in the night ; 
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. 

Ring out the old, ring in the new; 

Ring, happy bells, across the snow; 

The year is going, let him go; 
Ring out the false, ring in the true. 

Ring out the grief that saps the mind, 

For those that here we see no more; 

Ring out the feud of rich and poor, 
Ring in redress to all mankind. 

Ring out old shapes of foul disease, 

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; 

Ring out the thousand wars of old, 
Ring in the thousand years of peace. 

Ring in the valiant man and free, 

The larger heart, the kindlier hand; 

Ring out the darkness of the land, 
Ring in the Christ that is to be." 

— Tennyson. 

PRAYER 

God, our Father, we thank Thee that Thou art the God of the 
Future as well as of the Past. As we go forward into the New Year we 
do not go without Thee. 

In the year that has passed we have sometimes been tempted to 
doubt Thee. Forgive us for our lack of confidence in Thee, O Thou 
Eternal God. 

And now we would once more acknowledge Thy leadership, and 
consecrate ourselves to Thy will. If we have made in our hearts any 
worthy resolves, help us to keep them faithfully; and may our supreme 
resolution be to follow our Master, Jesus Christ, every day of our lives. 

We ask it in his name. Amen. 



GOODWILL 65 

The Story of a Family Portrait* 

Every room in the house was full of bustling preparation. For to-day 
their son was to leave home to make his own way in the world. His name 
was Theodore, which means " Gift of God." His parents had given him 
this name when he was a little baby because they were so happy to have 
him. And now the time of parting had come. 

Before the farewells were spoken, his father took him aside and, 
drawing a thin package from his pocket, said: " Theodore, you have a 
brother whom you have never seen. His happiness and yours depends 
upon your finding each other. Here is an ancient family portrait that 
shows the features that are characteristic of our line. By this you shall 
know which of all the men you meet is your brother. Do not look at it 
now; put it into your pocket. But as you move among men study it 
frequently." 

That night Theodore, alone and away from home, opened the little 
package in order to have a look at the family portrait that he had never 
seen. "Ha !" said he. "This is not a portrait, this is only a mirror! 
The face that I see is my own. This is strange. But I can use this 
mirror to comb my hair by and to adjust my neckties." 

So it was day after day. In the ancient portrait Theodore saw only 
his own face, and he nearly forgot that he had a brother whose happiness 
as well as his depended upon their rinding each other. 

But what Theodore took to be only a mirror was destined to bring him 
strange experiences. First, he began to notice that whenever he had 
particularly enjoyed the companionship of a friend, the supposed mirror 
gave back, momentarily, the friend's features as well as Theodore's own. 
The oddest thing about it was that the one face had in it the look of two 
men at the same time, his own look and his friend's look. 

One day, when Theodore was canoeing upon the river, his canoe cap- 
sized and he was in danger of drowning. A gentleman upon the shore, 
an entire stranger, leaped into the water and saved his life. In the ex- 
citement and confusion, before one could collect oneself sufficiently to 
frame thankful words, the gentleman slipped away and disappeared. No 
one knew his name, or whence he had come, or whither he had gone. That 

* A story by George A. Coe. 



66 GOODWILL 

evening, when Theodore looked into the family portrait, "Ha !" said he. 
"Here is the portrait of my rescuer! His features and mine are both 
here in a single face ! Surely, he must be my brother. But he is gone; 
we have not found each other." 

Theodore's occupation took him, on another day, to the most neglected 
quarter of the town. A bleak November wind claimed possession of the 
street. Bareheaded women in thin shawls hurried past him. Half-clad, 
half-fed children played feebly upon the pavement. A drunken man 
staggered among the children and struck one of them — his own daughter. 
In one of the tenements Theodore saw a haggard woman dying inch by 
inch of tuberculosis. He had been delicately reared; such sights he had 
never seen; he drew back from them. But he could not escape them, for 
somehow they got into the family portrait. Theodore still saw his own 
face there, but in his very own features he beheld the pinch of hunger, 
the misery of sickness, the despair of sin. "Why!" he exclaimed, 
"all the wretched creatures I have seen this day are there in my own 
face!" 

Then something still more startling happened. A quarrel arose. 
At first there was only a misunderstanding. But the misunderstanding 
led to scornful words; scornful words led to threats; and threats ended in 
blows. Blinded by his anger, Theodore struck with all his might, and his 
adversary fell, bruised and bleeding. That evening, proud of his victory, 
Theodore looked at the family portrait, and lo ! the wound that he had 
inflicted upon his adversary was in his own face. 

Then came war. He enlisted, went to the front, and fought valiantly 
in the trenches. Here the ancient portrait, which he carried with him 
wherever he went, became a sort of companion to him. For now he 
could see the features of his whole regiment in the one countenance that 
he called his own. Day after day, as he studied the portrait, he saw the 
regiment in himself and himself in the regiment. Day after day he said, 
"Every man in the regiment is my brother." Thus the portrait com- 
forted him in his privations; and it helped him to fight. 

But one day, even as he was examining the ancient portrait, a change 
began to come over it. A look appeared that he had never seen there 
before. It was as if a thousnnd repulsive, malicious faces flitted through 
it all in an instant. "What can this mean?" he was starting to say. 



GOODWILL 67 

when suddenly the order came to advance upon the enemy. Once more 
the battle roared; once more Theodore was fighting shoulder to shoulder 
with the men of his regiment — every one of them his brother. Round 
him men were bleeding and dying — every one of them his brother. And 
there in front was the enemy, the enemy ! One consuming passion took 
possession of him — to kill, to kill, to kill ! The fighting came to close 
quarters; firing gave way to bayonet charges, and Theodore found him- 
self in man-to-man conflict with one of the hated enemy. In an in- 
stant each had wounded the other, and each fell, bleeding but not 
dying. There the two foemen lay, side by side, through a long night 
of agony. 

As day was dawning church-bells in a distant village began to chime. 
Theodore listened. "They are ringing a Christmas carol," said he: 

" ■ To God on high all glory be 
For peace shall be on earth.' 

I used to sing that carol when I was a child. I had forgotten all about 
Christmas." 

Back flew his thoughts to the old home — his happy childhood, the 
Christmas stockings, and then his father saying: "Theodore, you have a 
brother." 

Said Theodore, "The portrait, the portrait!" He drew it from his 
bosom, and lo ! it gave back the face of his own childhood, then the 
face of his mother, then his father, his friends, his unknown rescuer, his 
wretched neighbors, the acquaintance with whom he had quarrelled, the 
members of his regiment, then — the foe who lay wounded by his side, 
then the whole army of the enemy, and at last a baby in a manger ! And 
somehow in every one of them Theodore beheld his very own face. 

Then it came to him: Christmas had made it all clear. Theodore 
had found his brother at last. 

The bells in the distance were ringing: 

"To God on high all glory be, 

For peace shall be on earth." 



68 REVERENCE 

REVERENCE 

The Great Stone Face* 

Text: Phil. 4 : 8 

Away up among the mountains of the north there is a place where 
the rocks of an overhanging cliff have, by some strange chance, so piled 
themselves together as to form the profile of a great stone face — the 
Old Man of the Mountain they call it. Huge, majestic, serene, it stands 
there unchanging through the centuries, looking out over the hills like 
some mighty guardian of the valley beneath. 

Legends about the Great Stone Face had been told among the 
people for many generations. One of them was that some day a child 
should be born in the valley who was destined to become the greatest 
and noblest personage of the time and whose countenance should bear 
an exact resemblance to the Old Man of the Mountain. 

One day a boy whose name was Ernest heard the story, and he be- 
gan to wonder about it. He used to gaze for hours at the vast features, 
and his fancy would color them with dignity and power. It seemed to 
him to be the most wonderful face he had ever seen, and he longed 
for the time to come when the great man should appear who was to be 
like this old guardian of the valley. 

Many years went by, and still he used to go and look up at the 
Old Man of the Mountain. And as he meditated upon its peaceful 
dignity, its calm grandeur, he sometimes had strange moments when it 
seemed as though he could talk with it. And he would think and think 
about the deep things of the human heart or of some great good which 
was to come to mankind. Day by day he lived and grew wise in the 
presence of beautiful thoughts. 

Did you ever notice how the expression on people's faces seems to 
tell you what they are thinking about? A person who is all frowns 
outside is pretty apt to be cross inside, isn't he? And one whose face 
is covered with cheery smiles is probably happy and kind and pleasant 
to talk with. That is how it was that Ernest's face began to show 
how strong and thoughtful a man he was. 

* Based on Hawthorne's story. Theme used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. 



REVERENCE 69 

Now and then, as time went on, someone who had been born in the 
valley and had gone away would come back to the village where Ernest 
lived — someone who had won power and fame in the great world. And 
the villagers would always think that at last the man had come who 
should fulfil the prophecy of the old legend. But no. Ernest was 
always disappointed. None that he saw ever seemed so beautiful as 
the Great Stone Face. 

By and by he grew to be an old man, and still no one came to fulfil 
the prophecy. His friends had not thought of him as being great at 
all. He was just a simple workman like the rest. But no one ever 
talked with him without feeling better and happier. He spoke truths 
that moulded the lives of all who heard him. In the evening at sunset 
the people would often gather after work, and he would speak to them in 
his simple way, explaining to them some of the mysteries of life. 

One evening, as Ernest was preaching to the people as his custom 
was, a strange thing happened. They were gathered on a hillside from 
which all could see the massive features of the Old Man of the Moun- 
tain. The preacher had begun to talk to them, and as the evening sun 
cast its soft glow over the valley its rays rested on his face. Never 
before had the people noticed in Ernest's expression the calm dignity, 
the beauty, the strength and tenderness. Suddenly someone in the 
audience threw up his arms and cried: 

"Look! Look! Ernest is himself the likeness of the Great Stone 
Face!" 

And it was so. As he had been thinking about that silent figure, 
and about what the good man would be like who should have a counte- 
nance so wonderful and strong, his own features seemed to have grown 
like that of which he thought, and his own face had come to glow with 
all the peace and beauty and power that he had seen in the old man of 
stone up there on the mountain. By living in fellowship with what is 
good and pure and true, he had himself fulfilled the ancient prophecy. 

PRAYER 

God, our Father, everything that is beautiful and good cometh 
from Thee. We thank Thee that Thou hast so made us that we can 
enjoy the memory of all that we have seen. We are glad that we can 



70 REVERENCE 

think when we will about the mountains and the sunsets, the woods 
and the flowers, which we have known and loved, and about the stories 
we have read, and the pictures we have delighted in. 

Thou art teaching us day by day to know and to desire the things 
that are worth knowing, and to put away from our thoughts all that 
is mean and unworthy. As we go about our studies, in our work, in 
our games, and in all our companionships with one another, may we be 
ever looking for what is noble and honorable and true, because we know 
that it is of these things that Thou dost think. 

And so by thus living day by day with the memories and the thoughts 
and the purposes of which Thou dost approve, shall we fit ourselves for 
more and more perfect companionship with Thee, our Father and our 
Friend. 

And all this we ask and achieve through the friendship and the 
grace of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

On Prayer 

There was once a little girl * who thought that God lived away off 
somewhere and didn't pay any attention to small folks. So one day 
she said to her father: "Papa, I want you to say something to God 
for me. I have such a little voice I don't think He could hear it 'way 
up in heaven." But her father said to her, "If God were surrounded 
by all the angels singing one of the most beautiful songs that was ever 
heard in heaven, He would say to them: 'Hush! Stop singing for a 
little while. There is a little girl who wants to tell me something, and' 
I must listen to what she has to say.' " So the little girl wasn't afraid 
to speak to God herself after that. 

A long, long time ago people used to think that God would some- 
times appear like a man and come to visit them unexpectedly. We 
know now that He doesn't do that. He doesn't have to come to visit 
us. He is with us all the time, although we never see Him. Some- 
times we wonder what He is like, and we cannot help thinking that He 
must be like Jesus. We remember what a big strong man Jesus was 
and how he was always trying to help somebody out of a difficulty, or 

*This story is suggested by. "A Little Girl's Prayer," Kerr, H. T., Children's Story 
Sermons. Used by permission of the Fleming H. Revell Co. 



REVERENCE 71 

make somebody well, or tell someone how to be happy and brave in 
misfortune, or teach people how to live together as children of the 
Heavenly Father, and we think that God must be like him. God is 
our friend and He wants us to be His friends. 

Prayer is just talking with our Father. And He is not far away. 
We do not have to talk very loud for Him to hear. Indeed, when any 
one even begins to pray, God is already in his heart, helping him to pray. 

A little boy* once went out to walk with his father. " Shall I take 
hold of your hand?" asked his father. "No," said the boy, "let me 
take hold of yours." So they started out. Pretty soon the little boy 
stumbled, and he let go of his father's hand and fell down. When he 
got up he said, "Father, this time you take hold of my hand." And 
so the father reached down and took hold of the little boy's hand, and 
he reached up and held tight to his father's hand. And the next time 
he stumbled he didn't fall, because he wasn't doing all the holding 
himself. 

So God takes hold of our hands when we reach up to take hold of 
His. Whatever we try to do, He is there, ready to help us. He always 
wants to have us talk with Him about things. Of course, we always 
want to think about Him in the morning, just as we say good morning 
to our fathers or our mothers or our friends. And just as our mothers 
sometimes come and talk with us a little while when we go to bed, so we 
like to speak with God before we drop off to sleep. 

But He likes us to come to Him any time at all. At noon or in the 
middle of the morning, or whenever we have something hard to do, or 
whenever something has made us happy, or whenever we have done 
wrong, then He wants us to feel that He shares with us all our troubles 
and all our pleasures. 

Sometimes we pray when we are alone, and sometimes we pray 
when we are all together, as we are in church or in Sunday school. 
Then we realize that we all belong to the great family of God, and, 
whether old folks or young folks, we are all children of our Heavenly 
Father. 

* This incident is suggested by "The Father's Hand," Bayley, F. T., Little Ten Minutes. 
Used by permission of the Fleming H. Revell Co. 



72 REVERENCE 



PRAYER 



O God, our Father, we thank Thee that whatever happens to us or 
whatever we do, Thou art always our Friend. We are glad that we can 
come to Thee at any time, for Thou art always near us. Whether we 
are thinking of Thee or not, Thou art always thinking of us. Forgive 
us, our Father, that we so often forget Thee. We have often been dis- 
loyal to what we know to be right. At such times we are indeed not 
fit to be called Thy children. Yet Thy kindness never fails. We can 
never get beyond Thy love and care. 

Help us, our Father, to think often of Thee and to talk with Thee 
about all that gives us happiness or pain. Give us strength and wisdom 
for every difficulty. Help us, in our studies, to be faithful and honor- 
able. Help us, in our games and our good times, to be courteous and 
thoughtful for others and fair-minded. Help us, in our homes, to be 
useful and obedient. 

So may we learn to turn to Thee at all times and to live in constant 
and loving companionship with Thee and with all Thy children, for the 
sake of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Lord's Prayer 
(Read Luke 11 : 1-4.) 

When you pray, say " Father." Some of your fathers are doctors, 
some are lawyers or business men, some are professors. And you are 
proud of it. But I venture to say that when you are talking with your 
father you don't say to him: " Doctor, may I do this?" Or when you 
are at the dinner-table you don't say: " Professor, may I have that?" 
No, you say " Father." 

We like to think of all that God does — how He makes this great big 
earth turn 'round and 'round so that the sun can keep it all warm. 

"The heavens declare the glory of God, 

And the firmament showeth His handiwork." 

"0 Lord, our Lord, 

How excellent is Thy name in all the earth, 
Who hast set Thy glory upon the heavens." 



REVERENCE 73 

We like to think of all that, but when we talk to Him we say " Father." 
How simple it all is, then, as soon as we use that familiar name. The 
very name Father is precious to us, and so we say: "Father, hallowed be 
Thy name." 

Now, when our fathers start out in the morning for their hard day's 
work, what is the last thing we say to them? Well, when we stop to 
think about it, perhaps we say: " Father, I hope things will go well with 
you to-day." 

A short time ago a friend of mine who was sick said to the doctor: 
"How are things going?" "It's been a hard day," the doctor answered. 
"No one seems to be getting better." The big, cheery doctor, who 
helps us so much when we are sick, is often tired and discouraged. His 
work doesn't always go well. And it's the same way with everyone 
who works hard. And so we wish our fathers well as they start off to 
work in the morning. 

Now, God is working, too. We call His work the building of the 
Kingdom of Heaven. And so when we pray to God we say: "Father, 
may Thy Kingdom come; may what Thou desirest for the world be ac- 
complished; may Thy will be done." And perhaps we say between 
the lines: "And we will try not to do anything to hinder the coming of 
Thy Kingdom." 

And then we say: "Give us day by day our daily bread." Give us 
meat and vegetables and clothes and warm houses and pictures and 
books and friends; we need these things and we know that they come 
from Thee, and we believe that Thou dost desire that every child of 
Thine should have enough to eat and to enjoy. And perhaps we say 
between the lines, again: "And we will do all that we can to help every 
child of Thine to have enough to eat and to enjoy." 

Perhaps you who are older have seen your father, when he comes 
home at night, take your small brother John on his knee and say: "Have 
you been a good boy to-day?" John looks sheepishly at his mother 
and says no, he hasn't been a good boy to-day. "Well, well, what's 
been the trouble?" Well, John was mean to his sister Helen. Then 
Helen gets up on the other knee. "Have you been a good girl to-day, 
Helen?" No, Helen has not been a good girl. Helen was mean to 
John. "Have you made it all up between you?" Oh, yes, Helen had 



74 REVERENCE 

forgiven John and John had forgiven Helen. "Well, then," says the 
father, "I will forgive you both, and we will all be friends again." 

Forgive us our sins, our trespasses, even as we ourselves have for- 
given those that have sinned against us. 

"And lead us not into temptation." You will know better what 
that means by and by. But you young men and young women to whom 
life is beginning to present perplexing problems day by day, you know, 
or you soon will know, what it means to be tempted. Watch and pray 
that ye enter not into temptation. But know that with every tempta- 
tion God provideth also the means of escape. Ask Him, therefore, to 
help you. Ask Him to deliver you from evil that you may be strong 
and pure; and to Him shall belong the glory of His kingdom. 

Let us all bow our heads and say together the prayer our Master 
taught us. 

(Saying here the Lord's Prayer.) 

How God Speaks to Us 

i. In the Cry of Human Need 

I will read the story of the vision that came to Isaiah the prophet: 
(Read Is. 6 : 1-8.) 

The Bible is full of stories of men who practised the presence of 
God. Isaiah was one of them. The Bible tells us a great many things 
that they said to God. But, better still, it tells us some of the things 
God said to them. How unsatisfactory it would be to talk to God if 
He never said anything to us. It would be like trying to talk to a 
statue. What's the use of talking to a statue? When you little folks 
talk to your dolls you pretend at least that they can talk, too. Other- 
wise it wouldn't be any fun. Prayer is empty unless we are convinced 
that God speaks to us. 

But sometimes we are puzzled about how He speaks to us. And so 
for a few Sundays I want to have you think with me of the ways in 
which God speaks to us. To-day is the first way. 

God speaks to us in the cry of human need. That's the way He 
spoke to Isaiah in the story I read. His people were bad. They were 
miserable. Everything was confused and horrible and indecent. Crime 
and want and shame stalked abroad. And Isaiah heard the voice of 



REVERENCE 75 

his people coming to him as the very voice of God, saying: " Whom shall 
I send, and who will go for me?" And he said, "Here am I, send me." 

Some of you have been earning some money for the Day Nursery. 
Perhaps you have been down to see it. You have seen the youngsters 
there who have so little to make them happy — no homes to care for 
them, no toys except what you take to them. And your hearts were 
touched by their poverty and lonesomeness. Just at that moment, 
when you felt their need, then God spoke to you. And you said, "Here 
we are, send us!" And you went, with your money and toys and 
mittens and clothes. 

Belgium was laid waste by war. Her people cried out for help in 
their distress. And America heard their cry and said: "Here we are, 
send us." And we went, with our ships of flour and clothes and money. 

Some of you have a sick classmate. For a while he was very sick 
and he suffered a good deal. And you knew it. — Just at that moment 
when you felt sorry for him and wanted to do something for him, just 
then God spoke to you and said: "Who will go for me?" And you 
went with your flowers and letters. 

In this city thousands of people are destitute, without money and 
without work — many are starving and cold and homeless. The voice 
of God is thundering in our ears day and night, and yet there are peo- 
ple in this city who do not even hear it. And there are some who hear 
it and say: "Don't send me, I'm busy; send someone else!" 

The voice of God speaks to us in the cry of human need, saying: 
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for me?" And when Isaiah 
heard it, he said, "Here am I ; send me" 

PRAYER 

O God, our Father, Thou art speaking to us in so many ways, and 
we are so dull we do not even hear Thee. Out of the depths do men 
cry unto Thee for help, and how canst Thou help them, save as Thy 
children hear their cry and answer it? 

Thou art calling to us out of the needs of Thy people everywhere. 
Teach us to listen for Thy voice speaking to us in our hearts. And 
when Thou dost ask us to help Thee, O may we not refuse. 

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 



76 REVERENCE 

How God Speaks to Us 

2. The Voice of Conscience 
I Kings 19 : 1-4, 8-i5a (ending with "Go, return by the wilderness to Damascus") 

Last Sunday we were thinking of how God speaks to us in the cry 
of human need. That is the way He spoke to Isaiah. That is the way 
He speaks to us. But there is another way. I read to you about it 
in the Scripture lesson, and it is what I want to speak of to-day — God 
speaks to us in the voice of conscience. " Stern daughter of the voice 
of God, Duty!" 

Elijah was a reformer. He knew his people were doing wrong, 
and he undertook to call them to account. As in the case of so many 
other reformers, the people didn't like it, particularly the ones he was 
attacking. The queen was very bitter against him and threatened to 
put him to death. And, like many other reformers, he had to flee for 
his life. He ran away and hid in a cave. Then came the storm — but 
God was not in the storm — and then the earthquake and the fire, and, 
last of all. the still small voice of Jehovah. He thought God would 
speak to him to pity and comfort him and tell him how well he had 
done. But, instead of that, Jehovah said. '"What doest thou here, 
Elijah?" And Elijah said. "I have done all I could for Jehovah, for 
the people have forsaken Thy covenant and slain Thy prophets, and 
I'm the only good man left in the world, and now they seek my life to 
take it away." And Jehovah said, "You have no business to be here. 
You have work to do in the world. Go, return to Damascus." Elijah 
knew it "way down in his heart. That's why he heard the voice. We 
call it conscience. In the Old Testament they didn't call it that; they 
said " Jehovah said" or ''Thus saith the Lord." But it's all the same 
voice. 

Whenever I read this story of Elijah I can almost hear the words 
as they ring clown the ages — "What doest thou here. Elijah?" I seem 
to recognize them — and why should I not? It is the voice of God. 

Sometimes we catch ourselves thinking of something unfair or dis- 
honest or mean — some bit of unworthy gossip, some advantage we 
might take of someone. And then the voice inside says, " Don't do 



REVERENCE 77 

it," and we feel sort of guilty, even though we haven't done it. When 
you feel that way it is the voice of God speaking to you. 

Sometimes we have to keep an appointment — to be on time for 
dinner, to go to bed at a certain hour, to get to school on time — but 
we're playing out, and it's too nice to go in quite yet, or we must read 
just another page, or we haven't quite finished the game. And we 
don't really have the good time we think we're going to; we feel that we 
really ought to go — when we feel that way it is the voice of God saying 
to us: "What doest thou here? You have no business to be here." 

Sometimes we have some big task to do; something that means 
hard work, or sacrifice, or danger. We can't quite bring ourselves to 
do it. We put it off and put it off until some day something inside of 
us calls us up sharp, and it seems as though we could hear a voice say- 
ing: "What doest thou here? Don't you know you ought to be about 
your business?" 

Sometimes we have actually done something we ought not to have 
done, or we have not done something we should have done. The letter 
to the sick classmate has not been written. The kind word has not 
been spoken. The little duty has been neglected. Then some day we 
wake up suddenly to find it's too late. Our sympathy is not wanted now; 
someone else has done the thing we ought to have done. We can't go 
back to make things different. At the moment we feel sorry, when re- 
morse and shame surge up within us, then — just at that moment — God 
is speaking to us. 

And there are many other ways in which He lets us know what He 
wants of us. But these two we will not forget. In the cry of human 
need and in the voice of conscience God is speaking to us. 

PRAYER 

O God our Father, how often have we heard Thy voice speaking to 
us ! Thou dost never leave us to face any duty or temptation alone. 
Hour by hour Thou dost watch over us, urging us on to do our best, 
holding us back when we would thoughtlessly or wilfully do any wrong 
thing. 

Forgive us, O God, those things whereof our conscience is afraid. 
We have left undone the things we ought to have done, and we have 



78 REVERENCE 

done the things we ought not to have done. Whatever may be the 
faults we confess in our hearts before Thee, do Thou, in Thy loving- 
kindness, forgive them all. 

In our failures and disappointments, in our trials and temptations, 
wherever we may be, whatever we have to do or to endure, be Thou, 
O God, our strength and our defense. 

We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 

How God Speaks to Us 

3. God's Language : The Beautiful, the Good, and the True 

Probably all of you have had the experience of being in a group of 
foreigners who were speaking a language you didn't understand. It 
sounded as though they were just chattering gibberish. But most of 
you are learning French or German. When you began, it all sounded 
queer and funny. The words had no meaning for you. But little 
by little you find yourselves understanding what is said. The strange 
words that you laughed at at first now mean something to you. You 
are able to interpret the sounds that come to you. 

On every large ship that puts to sea there is a room called the wire- 
less room. Sometimes it is up on top, sometimes it is in the cabin. 
All day long someone sits there, most of the time with a receiver over 
his ear that looks like a telephone receiver. There he sits and listens. 
Now and then he begins to write something. When you read it it's a 
message from some ship a hundred miles away. If you had been listen- 
ing in his place, would you have heard the message? No. You would 
have heard only click, click, click, click. You could not have inter- 
preted the sound at all. 

Perhaps as you watch him he suddenly sits up straight and begins 
writing very fast. And you read what he writes: " S.S. Coronia on fire. 

Latitude , Longitude ." At once he calls the captain, and 

the ship's course is changed and she rushes full steam ahead to help the 
burning ship. Supposing the operator had not been able to understand 
those clicks in his ear coming to him from some, vessel far, far away 
beyond the horizon? No one would have known anything about the 
fire, and one more ship would have gone to the bottom with all on 
board. But he knew the language — he could interpret the sounds. 



REVERENCE ' 79 

Every day we are learning languages so as to be able to understand 
people and books and things. Botany, the language of the flowers; 
physics and chemistry, the language of things; mathematics, the lan- 
guage of the stars. Here in Sunday school we are trying to learn the 
language of God, so as to be able to interpret life and to understand 
Him when He speaks. Recently we have been thinking of two ways 
in which He speaks to us — in the cry of human need, and in the voice 
of conscience. But there are a great many other ways which you are 
learning here and in your classes. 

Some of you know them: 

You who have climbed the hills and stood on the edge of the sky 
and looked out over the top of the world into the setting sun — when 
you breathed deep and stood silent, God spoke, and you understood. 

You who have looked deep into the heart of a friend, a child, a teacher, 
a mother or father, and have seen there the scars of conflict, of disap- 
pointment or self-sacrifice — when your heart was touched with sympathy 
for him, God spoke, and you understood. 

You who have felt the tug of an ideal pulling you onward and up- 
ward toward the thing you would do or be — when something within 
you led you to a great resolve, God spoke, and you understood. 

You who love the stories of Jesus or who have heard his master- 
spirit calling to you across the years — God has spoken to you. Have 
you understood? 

These are all the ways I am going to speak of just now. Only re- 
member that He does speak to us, that we can learn His language, and 
that when we understand Him we shall live in comradeship with Him 
forever. 

SILENT PRAYER 
(Topics Suggested by Leader) 

Let us bow in silent prayer. 

Let each say in his own heart: "Q God, we are glad that Thou art 
speaking to us in so many ways." 

Then let us think of how God has spoken to us. (Pause.) 

In the beautiful and joyful things of life. (Pause.) 

In the goodness and strength of men and women. (Pause.) 



80 REVERENCE 

In the innocence of children. (Pause.) 

In the triumphant life of Jesus. (Pause.) 

Let us ask ourselves if we have really tried to understand Him by 
searching for the good, the beautiful, the true, in the world around us 
and in the hearts of friends. (Pause.) 

Let us ask Him to help us and all men everywhere to learn His lan- 
guage so that all may know His will, His love, His desire to help. 

(Finish with collect No. 20, p. 152.) 

Prayer and Music 

Where is God? Did you ever ask that question? I'm going to 
tell you a very simple answer. Perhaps you all will not understand it 
very well, but the older you grow the better you will understand it. 

The answer is this — God is just exactly where you are ! 

Do you remember what the 139th Psalm says about Him? (Read 
w. 1-4, 7-12, 18b.) 

I wonder if you know that little verse of Tennyson's that runs: 

" Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, 
And Spirit with Spirit can meet — 
Closer is He than breathing, 

And nearer than hands and feet." 

It is one of the beautiful things in life that so much of what we see 
and hear helps us to think about God and to talk with Him quietly. 
Music, for instance, soft music that sets us to dreaming, sometimes 
makes us feel that God is very close to us. 

Now, this morning Mr. C is going to play something from Dvorak's 
"New World Symphony,"* and while he plays it I want you to think 
very quietly. I want every one of you here to think about two things 
while you listen to the organ: 

1. God is always very near us. 

2. God is always our Friend. 

While Mr. C is playing, say over and over to yourselves these words: 
God is very close to us. 
God is our Friend. 

* " Largo." 



REVERENCE 81 



PRAYER 

(After the Organ) 

Our Father, we thank Thee that Thou art very close to us. We 
thank Thee that Thou art our Friend. Our thoughts have found fel- 
lowship with Thee in the city where Thou dwellest, and we have learned 
that the city where Thou dwellest is our home. 

Grant, O Father, Thou whose almighty love ruleth evermore, grant 
that all our selfish deeds may cease. May sorrow and sin and suffering 
flee away, and Thy Kingdom of Peace and Goodwill be established in 
the earth. Amen. 

Introduction to Handel's Largo 

Music is more like a story than a picture. We don't see it all at 
once as we see a sunset. In a story we hear some words, then some 
more words, and some more words, till we come to the end. So in 
music we hear some notes, then some more notes, till by and by we come 
to the end. And by that time perhaps we have forgotten all about 
the beginning — but we can't go back to it. It's gone. It's the same 
way with our thoughts. We think of one thing one minute and an- 
other thing the next minute. We think of what we are listening to, 
then all at once we find our thoughts are away off somewhere else. Life 
is just like that, too. The clock ticks off the minutes one by one, and 
they slip away down the stream of time. We stand between the yes- 
terdays that have gone and the to-morrows that are still to come. 

So music — this fleeting thing of beauty — seems to be of the very 
stuff that life is made of. That's why we like it. That's why it ap- 
peals to us. That is why the musician can so affect us, can play upon 
our souls so that our very heartstrings vibrate in harmony with God's 
universe. 

But just as life is good only to those who live it well, so music is 
good only to those who listen well. It isn't only the organist who makes 
the music — your own soul must play it, too. So let us give ourselves 
to the music of Handel's Largo. 



82 FAITH 



FAITH 



Pioneers 
(Washington's Birthday) 

Columbus, Washington, Lincoln. These names stand out from 
the pages of American history as the names of three of the greatest 
pioneers who ever lived. Columbus, the adventurous navigator, who 
was willing to trust all of his fortune and that of his comrades to a 
new and truer theory about the shape and size of the earth; Washing- 
ton, who staked the future of a new nation on the outcome of a long 
and uncertain war; Lincoln, who faced unflinchingly the almost impos- 
sible task of maintaining the principles of human freedom and national 
unity. 

Not one of these men knew what the outcome of his undertaking 
would be. But, like Abraham, they went out not knowing whither they 
went, seeking the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker 
is God. They believed in the ultimate triumph of truth and right. 
They believed in the nobility and the faithfulness of human nature. 
They were willing to launch out upon the uncharted seas of adventure, 
of war, of politics, guided only by their principles of justice or of science 
or of government, and content to trust in God for the outcome. 

And how much greater was the outcome than any of these men had 
planned or ever realized ! Columbus sought a short route to India — ■ 
he found a new continent ! Washington tried to free the colonies from 
the burden of a tyrannous rule — he established a new nation ! Lin- 
coln's triumph was not through war — he hated war. His service was 
not that of a soldier. Yet he fought and suffered more than they all. 
Lincoln is great to us because of what he stood for, because of his ideals, 
his sympathies, his wise judgments, so many of which he was forced by 
hostile political influence to abandon. Yet, even with so much against 
him, through all sorts of oppressive opposition, he fought his way, by his 
indomitable confidence in the goodness and sanity of men, to a success 
which he did not live to understand. 

These men had a vision of something that needed to be done. With 
perseverance and hope and trust in men and in God, they did their best 



FAITH 83 

to do it. Did they do it? Perhaps not. But they accomplished some- 
thing vaster and nobler than any of them had dreamed of. 

And we now possess the good things which their enterprise and sac- 
rifice created. And you and I are called upon to use this inheritance 
well, and to hand it on to those who come after us with all that our 
strength can add to it of beauty and purity and justice and truth. We 
too are called to help build the city of God. 

In a poem called " Columbus," * Joaquin Miller has pictured this 
spirit of faith and enterprise which led the discoverer through all his 
dangers and discouragements. It is the faith which inspired Wash- 
ington and Lincoln. It is the spirit of every true American, of every 
strong man or woman. 

PRAYER 

O Thou, who art our Father and our God, we thank Thee for all 
the great and wise men who have been able to guide the nations of the 
earth according to Thy will. And we thank Thee for all the brave, 
strong-hearted women through whom the world has received shelter, 
comfort, and inspiration. 

We pray, our Father, for our nation. May we be enabled to do our 
share in cleansing it of all the dross of corruption and oppression. We 
pray for the nations of the world which are struggling to win for them- 
selves peace and dignity and stability. May their leaders be guided 
by the desire to achieve for their countrymen all that the world has 
found to be wisest and best. 

As we begin to take a larger part in the life and activities of the 
world, grant, our Father, that we may do what is wise and good, whether 
it seems at first to bring us success or not. For we would play fair in 
the game of life. 

We pray, our Father, for all whose hearts are saddened by the loss 
of any whom they love. Renew their faith. Give them courage and 
hope. May they find rich comfort in the knowledge of Thy goodness 
and love. And grant, Father, that, whether through sorrow or through 
joy, we all may share in the sure coming of Thy Kingdom as brother 
workers with our leader and friend, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

* In " Poems of Action," see Bibliography, Sec. X. 



84 FAITH 

The City of God 

Rev. 21 : 1-4 

Two children were lost in the city. One was ten and the other rive. 
A friendly policeman asked them where they lived. "We live in the 
house with glass doors," said the five-year-old, "where the halls have 
walls of marble, and an elevator goes up and down." But the ten- 
year-old said: "We live at 542 North Avenue." Which was right? I 
think maybe the younger one was right, and she might have added, 
"in the world of giants and fairies": 

" Green jacket, red cap, 

And white owl's feather." 

We live in the world we see around us and dream about. For some, 
our city is just our home, and the sidewalk to school, and the school- 
room. Some of you have taken the ferry across to Staten Island, and 
you have looked back at that huge mass of buildings piled against the 
sky and the great bridges spanning the East River, and with some- 
thing like pride you have said to yourselves, "This is my city." You 
are citizens of New York. Some of you have been reading about the 
Panama Canal, of how this country achieved this greatest engineering 
feat of history, and you have said, "My country did that," and as you 
look at this flag there's a wholesome pride in the thought that you are 
citizens of the United States of America. 

Some of you have been sending money to the Belgians and making 
things for them. Why did you do it? Because you felt that they are 
fellow citizens of yours. Fellow citizens of what? Why, of the world. 
You are citizens of the world. 

Some of you have been reading stories of heroes and heroines — 
Abraham, Joseph, Livingstone, Lincoln, Garrison, Washington, Florence 
Nightingale, Paul, Luther. And the more you know about these men 
and women the more clearly you see that they were very much like us. 
They were children once. They grew up by studying and playing and. 
working and eating and sleeping, just as we do. They are our fellow 
citizens — but where? Of our country? No; many were foreigners. 
Of the world? No; they are dead. Where, then? Why, in the King- 



FAITH 85 

dom of God. You will never be satisfied until you have pledged your 
allegiance as citizens of the City of God. 

Where is this City of God? It is within you. These heroes whom 
you have never seen — where are they? They are in your heart. You 
are building this city. You are piling up its domes and spires and 
turrets, for it is a city not made with hands but built out of spiritual 
fellowships with the noble men and women of all times and places, who 
are your fellow citizens. 

If, as you look around you, you see only dirt and squalor and mean- 
ness and crime, you do not dwell in the City of God. But if you see, 
shining through all things, the spirit of faith and hope and love and 
courage and nobility and honor and self-sacrifice, you are living in the 
City of God — the city not made with hands, which cometh down out 
of heaven from God. 

"Hail, the glorious Golden City, 

Pictured by the seers of old ! 
Everlasting light shines o'er it; 

Wondrous tales of it are told: 
Only righteous men and women 

Dwell within its gleaming wall; 
Wrong is banished from its borders, 

Justice reigns supreme o'er all. 

We are builders of that city; 

All our joys and all our groans 
Help to rear its shining ramparts; 

All our lives are building-stones: 
Whether humble or exalted, 

All are called to task divine; 
All must aid alike to carry 

Forward one sublime design. 

And the work that we have builded, 

Oft with bleeding hands and tears, 
And in error and in anguish, 

Will not perish with our years: 
It will last and shine transfigured 

In the final reign of Right; 
It will merge into the splendors 

Of the City of the Light." 

— Felix Adler. 



86 FAITH 



PRAYER 

O Thou who dwellest in the glorious golden city, whose kingdom 
is an everlasting kingdom, full of peace and joy and justice, we come 
to Thee, each with his own little world, which is full of shattered hopes, 
of failures and disappointments and sins. Open to us the gates of 
Thy city, that we may see within it the hopes fulfilled, the failures and 
sins overcome. And grant that we may dwell there, citizens of Thy 
Kingdom and fellow citizens of the men and women and children of 
all places and all times who have loved Thee with an imperishable love. 

We thank Thee for the men and women by whose wisdom this 
nation has been guided in the past. Safeguard us through the years. 
Grant that with honor and courage and self-forgetfulness we may 
earnestly seek peace both for ourselves and for all nations. 

And may all of us, by banishing from our own lives all hatred and 
bitterness and quarrelling, strive, each in his own way, to establish in 
the world Thy Kingdom of peace and happiness, through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 

Livingstone's Faith* 

A little more than a century ago David Livingstone was born. You 
all know who he was and you know how, as missionary and as natural- 
ist, he explored the African continent from sea to sea. If there is one 
quality about David Livingstone that stands out above his many 
splendid qualities, it is his faith — his courage in choosing big tasks and 
his perseverance in finishing what he set out to do. 

He delighted in undertaking what seemed to everyone else to be 
impossible. It seemed as though nothing could stop him. The natives 
called him the White Man Who Would Go On. When people told him 
that the Kalahari Desert could not be crossed by a white man, he crossed 
it. When they said he could not pass the territory of a hostile tribe, 
he not only passed through but made friends with the chief. When 
they declared that he could not penetrate to the coast from Linyanti 
in the centre of the continent, he did it, and, what is more, he came back 
again. He was the Man Who Would Go On. 

* From Livingstone, the Pathfinder. Used by permission of The Missionary Education 
Movement. 



FAITH 87 

From Linyanti to the Atlantic coast was one thousand five hundred 
miles of unbroken wilderness. It took six months and more for him to 
cover the distance, travelling day after day, sometimes in canoes, some- 
times walking, sometimes riding on the back of an ox. The forests 
were dense with tropical underbrush and infested with wild animals. 
The rivers were treacherous and alive with snakes and crocodiles. The 
rain fell so constantly that his clothes rotted on his back. Hostile na- 
tives disputed his passage and wanted to levy toll, but no toll would he 
give them. Frequent sickness left him thin and weak. But still he 
went on and on, till at last, with his faithful black friends, he reached 
Loanda on the coast. And when the black men saw the sea stretching 
away to the horizon, they cried: "We thought the world had no end, 
but now the world has said to us, ' I am finished. There is no more of 
me.' " 

Here the people all gave him a warm and friendly welcome. Ships 
were waiting in the harbor which would gladly have taken him back 
to England to see his family and to rest after his many years of arduous 
toil. But to him onward meant not England but Africa. To go on 
was to go back to Linyanti, for he had promised to guide the faithful 
black men back to their home. So back they went over the long, hard 
journey, repeating its hardships and dangers, till they came again to 
Linyanti in the heart of Africa. 

But that was not his only journey. He made many others even 
more difficult than that. He had set his heart on finding out about the 
unknown continent, and on opening a way for missionaries and traders 
to come in and bring the message of Christ and civilization to Darkest 
Africa. He would not stop until his work was done and his last journey 
taken— till the White Man Who Would Go On had crossed the border 
into the land of heavenly promise, into the life beyond. 

All the world has brought honor and love to David Livingstone. 
It is the honor and love due all those who, in faith, have labored so 
gloriously for the coming of God's Kingdom. 

PRAYER 

O God, our Heavenly Father, help us to do our work with courage 
and devotion. May we not be afraid of trying to do things which seem 



88 FAITH 

to be impossible or disagreeable. When we find something worth doing, 
may we give ourselves to the doing of it, and think nothing of the 
drudgery or the hardship which is necessary to its accomplishment. 
In the discipline and hard routine as well as in the joy of every day, it 
may be that we are achieving Thy purpose for us. And some day, 
when we have finished the work, we shall know how our sincere efforts 
have been mysteriously working out Thy wonderful plans. 

Help us, then, to be faithful in every little duty. In our work in 
class, in our singing, in our play, in our marching, teachers, pupils, and 
officers, may we all, O Father, help one another by doing well all that 
we have to do. 

And so, perhaps in ways which we do not now understand, may we 
share in bringing in Thy Kingdom as we work together in the spirit 
of our Master, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The Fairy Who Grew Up* 

Mark i : 16-20 

The fairy that I am going to tell you about lived in a queer town. 
One whole side of this town was called Fairyland. It was a beautiful 
park with trees and lawns and singing brooks and lots of fairies in it. 
These fairies had fairy houses, and fairy stores, and fairy wagons, and 
fairy railroad-trains, and everything else the fairies like to play with. 
All day long the fairies did nothing but play, and sing, and laugh, and 
think of nothing in particular. 

The other part of the town was called Manland. The people in 
Manland did not spend much time in play, but they worked a great 
deal. 

The fairy spent his time, of course, in Fairyland. All day long he 
did nothing but play, and sing, and laugh, and think of nothing in par- 
ticular. 

One day he saw a woman coming out of Manland and looking at 
the fairies at play. He went up to her and said, "Will you tell me 
what they do in Manland? Do they play all day as we do?" 
"No," said the woman. "We do not play all day, we work." 

Said the fairy, "And what is work?" 

* A story by George A. Coe. 



FAITH 89 

The woman replied, "The farmer raises food for others to eat, the 
manufacturer makes clothing for others to wear, the physician heals 
others who are sick, the teacher teaches children the things they ought 
to know, fathers and mothers toil all day in order that their little ones 
may grow up to be strong men and women, legislators and judges make 
and administer laws in order that justice may prevail through the 
land, and ministers tell the people what it is all about. This is what 
they do in Manland." 

The fairy listened hard, but he couldn't quite understand. It didn't 
seem very interesting to work all day, especially to work for others, so 
he went back to play. 

One day, however, when he started to play a game with the other 
fairies, they said, "We don't want you in this game. You're too big." 
And sure enough he was growing taller. He stopped and thought for 
a moment, and then he said to himself, "I don't believe I want to play 
with these little fairies. . . . Yes, I do, too ! . . . No, I don't, either ! 
. . . I don't know what I want. What is it that I really want?" 

Each day after that for several days the fairy found that he was 
growing taller and taller. Each day he tried to play with the other 
fairies, but they always said, "You're too big"; and always he said to 
himself, "I don't know what I want to do. I wonder what I really 
want." 

Then he looked over Fairyland, and behold ! all the fairy houses 
and stores and wagons and railroad-trains were nothing but toys. Said 
the fairy, "This is not what I want. What is it that I really want? I 
must find someone who can tell me." 

Now, there were several men looking over into Fairyland watching 
the fairies at their play, but one man was looking straight at the fairy 
who was not at play. This man was different from the others; his face 
showed more of thoughtfulness, a trace of sorrow, great sympathy, and 
such friendliness that the fairy went straight to him and said, "Can 
you tell me what it is that I really want?" 

"Yes," said the friendly man, "I can tell you v for I was once just 
what you are now. The fact is that you are growing up. You are 
ceasing to be a fairy; you are becoming a man. What you really want 
is to have something to do in Manland." 



90 FAITH 

"And what is there to do in Manland?" asked the fairy. 

The man replied: "Food must be raised for others to eat, clothing 
must be made for others to wear, sick people must be healed, boys and 
girls must be taught the things they need to know, little children must 
be brought up to be strong men and women, justice must be made to 
prevail through the land, and someone must tell the people that all 
this is God's will. This is what there is to do in Manland." 

Said the fairy, "And what reward have they who work in Man- 
land?" 

The man replied: "They who work in Manland have this reward. 
They see the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed, the ignorant 
enlightened, weak children becoming strong men and women, justice 
prevailing over the whole land, and the people understanding that God 
is in it all. This is the reward that they have who work in Manland. 
And this shall be your reward, too. I am the Master of Manland. 'If 
any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, 
and follow me.' " 

Then the Master turned and started for Manland. And the fairy 
started after him, saying, "Now I know what it is that I really want." 

"O Master, let me walk with Thee 
In lowly paths of service free. 
Tell me thy secret; help me bear 
The strain of toil, the fret of care." 

So these two turned and went away, out of Fairyland into Manland. 
Trust in the Lord* 

Dan. 3 : 1-18 

Some of you who spend your summers at the shore have probably 
seen a United States Life-Saving Station, with its big boat resting on its 
truck, all ready to be run down to the water. Perhaps you've seen the 
men launch it for a drill, or in a storm while the huge breakers were 
rolling up the beach. On the campus of Northwestern University, 
which is right on the shore of Lake Michigan, there is just such a sta- 
tion. The members of the crew are always students of the University, 

* Adapted from an account by George A. Coe. 



FAITH 91 

but the master is an experienced seaman. For many years the master 
was Captain Larsen, a tall, gaunt Norwegian with a flowing beard. 
He had come to this country when he was a young fellow, and had 
tried to make his living as a fisherman along the shore of Lake Michigan. 
He was very poor at first. Sometimes he did not know where the next 
meal was to come from. But he always trusted the Lord and enough 
meals came to keep him alive. 

But people finally discovered that he was a very skilful boatman. 
So he was made master of the life-saving station. Here he soon showed 
his bravery and good judgment, as well as his skill, in the way he re- 
sponded to calls for help from vessels in distress. Under his leadership 
the crew rescued hundreds of lives and thousands of dollars' worth of 
property. And so, although he had had practically no education, the 
college men deeply respected him, for they knew that he was a man. 

Let me tell you of one rescue. Early one winter a terrible northeast 
blizzard swept down the lake. This meant trouble. And, sure enough, 
word came to the station about midnight that a coal steamer with two 
barges had gone ashore at Glencoe, five miles to the north. At once the 
Captain called his men. A team of horses was found and hitched to the 
wagon containing the boat. In order to get to a point opposite the 
wreck, it was necessary to go five miles through ten inches of fresh- 
fallen snow and into the teeth of the cold blizzard. The crew trudged 
ahead and the horses followed, hauling the wagon with the boat. When 
they came opposite the wreck they found that they had to drive through 
a rough piece of woods in order to get to the shore. As they went along, 
the wheels struck a log that lay hidden in the snow, and a hole was 
stove in the bottom of the boat. But this did not stop the Captain. 
Calling one of the men, he took his oilskin coat and quickly improvised 
a patch. Then through the terrible surf the boat was launched. The 
Captain and his crew made three trips to the disabled vessels and brought 
every person — and there were twenty or more — safe ashore. 

But at what cost to the Captain and crew! The waves dashed con- 
tinually over the boat, threatening to capsize it any minute and throw 
them all into the icy water. One wave came over the stern with such 
violence that the Captain, who was standing at the steering-oar, was 
thrown full length in the boat. The men's soaked clothing froze to 



92 FAITH 

them and their mittens froze to the oars. It was no wonder that one 
man was taken down with rheumatic fever and was in the hospital six 
weeks. 

The people who lived along the shore were so impressed with the 
bravery of this rescue that they held a banquet in honor of the Captain 
and his crew. After various speeches had been made, describing what 
the crew had done, the Captain was called on. This is what he said: 

"Yes, it was a hard job, but the Lord helped us. We have faced 
difficult situations like this many times. More than once I have said 
to myself: 'We can't do it! It is impossible!' But it was our duty 
to go ahead and leave the results to the Lord. We've done our best, 
and the Lord has helped us. We have never lost a member of the crew, 
and I believe that it is all due to the Lord." 

A gentleman who was interested in the Captain's simple faith hap- 
pened to meet him soon afterward walking along the shore of the lake. 
"Well, Captain," he said, "so you believe that the Lord takes care of 
you and your crew, do you?" 

"Yes," said the Captain, "the Lord takes care of anyone who is do- 
ing his duty. If I come to a river and it's my duty to try to get across, 
I must get right into the water and do the best I can to get over." 

"But suppose, Captain, you should get drowned trying to get over?" 

"Well, that's all right, too!' 1 said the Captain. 

The Two Worlds* 

I think I will tell you a story this morning. It is about a frog, 
some grub-worms, and some dragon-flies. The grub-worms lived in a 
pond. When they grew up, they became dragon-flies that flew around 
in the air over the pond. The frog lived partly in the pond and partly 
in the air. Let's pretend that you are the grub-worms. You live in 
the world of childhood and you wonder sometimes about the world of 
grown-ups. You don't know very much about what goes on there in 
that land of mystery and adventure and love and business, and you 
often wish you could find out what it's all about. And the dragon-flies 
are the grown-ups who live in this strange world you are going to by and 

* Adapted from Mrs. Alfred Gatty, Parables from Nature. Used by permission of James 
Pott & Co. See also Everyland, March, 1915. 



FAITH 93 

by — and they often wish they could get back into the world of childhood 
again! And the frog — well, I'll be the frog that goes back and forth 
between the pond where the grub-worms live in the world of childhood 
and the air where the dragon-flies live in the world of grown-ups. Now 
I must tell you the story. 

One day one of the grub-worms who lived in the pond asked: "What 
becomes of the frog when he disappears?" "What makes you think 
he disappears?" said another grub. "Because just now I followed him 
out to the edge of the pond and all at once he wasn't there." And then 
the other grubs began to be curious and they asked the goldfish, and the 
goldfish took up the question and went around asking everybody: "What 
becomes of the frog when he disappears?" 

Just then down came the frog with a splash right into the midst of 
them. "Now's your chance," said the goldfish to the grub-worm. 
"Here's the frog, ask him about it." The little grub-worm was a bit 
afraid, for the frog was a rather dignified creature, but after circling two 
or three times around a lily stem he screwed up his courage and went 
up to the frog. 

"Respected frog, may I ask you a question?" 

"Ask away," said the frog, with apparent indifference. 

"What's beyond this world?" 

"What world?" asked the frog, rolling his goggle eyes around. 

"Why, this world, the place we live in." 

"If you call the pond the world, what do you call what is outside 
the pond?" 

"That's just what I want to know," said the grub. 

"Well, I think you are very foolish," said the frog, "but if you must 
know, I'll tell you. It's dry land." 

The grub- worm was silent a moment and then asked: "Can one swim 
there?" 

"No, of course not; there's no water there." 

"Then what is it, if it isn't water?" 

"It's very hard to describe it," said the frog slowly. "They call 
it air — it's the nearest thing to nothing that I know of." 

"I don't understand," said the grub. 

"So I expected," replied the frog. 



94 FAITH 

"But I can't be happy until I find out," insisted the grub. 

"Well," said the frog, "I think you're silly, but I like your spirit; 
so I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll take you there and then you can see 
for yourself. Get up on my back and hold on tight and we'll go right 
now." 

So the little grub climbed up on the frog's back and he started off 
toward the edge of the pond and began to climb out on shore. But the 
moment the grub's head left the water it seemed as though something 
struck him in the face, and he fell right down to the bottom of the 
pond horrified and disappointed, and feeling that the frog had deceived 
him. "I don't believe there is anything outside the pond after all," 
he said. 

Later on that day, while he was swimming around looking for some- 
thing to eat, the grub suddenly came upon the frog sitting on a green 
stone on the bottom of the pond. "What! are you here? Then you 
didn't go away to the other world after all, and it isn't true about the 
air and everything ? " 

"You didn't hang on to find out," answered the frog. "How do 
you think I felt when I saw you weren't there ? Do you think that was 
very courteous?" 

And then the grub-worm told the frog how it seemed as though 
something had struck him as he came to the edge of the pond, and how 
he had fallen straight back to the bottom of the pond. 

The old frog shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't explain it 
to you now," he said, "but by and by you will understand." 

It wasn't long after that before one of the grubs began to behave 
queerly. He seemed uneasy and discontented. Sometimes he would 
sulk and sometimes he would be quite cheerful and sociable. One 
day, when no one was particularly noticing, he climbed up a lily stem 
and disappeared. 

Pretty soon another grub began to act in the same way, and it 
wasn't long before he ran up the stem of a lily -pad and disappeared. 
And then the talkative grub began to feel the same way. He had 
strange longings he couldn't understand. He felt as though he must 
go away and do something. It seemed as though he just couldn't help 
climbing up a lily stem. And one day he found himself going up and 



FAITH 95 

up and up until all at once he came right out into the sunshine. He 
didn't drop back this time. He got onto a lily-pad and looked around 
at the beautiful green things, and basked in the warm air. And pres- 
ently a strange thing happened. His skin began to crack down his 
back. Soon it had broken enough for him to step out and stretch him- 
self, and he discovered that he had some wings. And it wasn't long 
before he began to move them gently up and down as though to try 
them, and then all at once he rose into the air and flew away. 

Not long afterward the frog noticed the dragon-fly darting back and 
forth over the pond as though he wanted to get back into it again, and, 
calling his old friend to him, he said, "I know it's hard for you to go 
back to the grub-worms, but by and by they will come to you and then 
they will understand." 

There's a little verse in the Bible that might have helped those 
impatient grub-worms if they could only have known it. It is this: 
"Be not anxious for the morrow." And it's all summed up in a very 
short word: " Faith." This is only one kind of faith that I have told 
you about to-day. Some day I'll tell you about some other kinds. 

PRAYER 

Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for the world of childhood 
in which we live. It is so full of wonderful things. New and unexpected 
pleasures come to us each day, and all the time there lies before us the 
great future with all its unknown dangers and delights. 

Forgive us that we are sometimes peevish and discontented. We 
ought not to be. And when things do go wrong and we are disap- 
pointed or upset, help us to remember that the best is yet to be, the last 
for which the first was made. Give us faith in each to-morrow. Help 
us to trust ourselves to the passing years, knowing that Thou hast 
planned all things wisely. 

And wilt Thou care for all those who have been thrust out of the 
world of childhood into the world of grown-up cares and worries before 
they are able to bear it; for the children who labor long hours in fac- 
tory and mine and sweatshop, without rest, without books or pictures; 
for those who are sick and cannot go outdoors; for those who are deaf 
or blind and can never know the world as we know it; for those who are 



96 FAITH 

crippled and can never run around freely; for those who have no fathers 
or mothers; for those who are away from home; for all who are happy 
and well and strong; for all children everywhere, we ask Thy gracious 
and loving care, in the name of him who in his gentle strength took the 
little ones into his arms and blessed them. Amen. 

Faith in Oneself 

Matt. 17 : 14-20 

At the corner of 165th Street and Broadway, in New York City, there 
is a great hill of solid rock which is being broken to pieces and carried 
two or three blocks and dumped alongside the river. For years, I 
suppose, people have looked up at that mass of rock and have said, 
"If I could only take that hill away, I could build houses there, or a 
playground." Finally someone came along and said, "I can do it." 
And he brought his steam-drills and his steam-shovel, and built his rail- 
road around the edge of the hill, and proceeded to carry the hill away. 
Did he say to the rock, "Remove hence to yonder place"? Yes, that's 
what he said. But what he did was to get a shovel and begin to dig. 
He did it because he had faith in himself. 

For years people have been trying to build a canal across the Isthmus 
of Panama. First they thought they would put it at one spot. No, 
there was a mountain in the way. Then they thought of another place. 
No, there was a lake in the way. Then they settled on a location and 
began work, but they finally gave it up and quit. Then came Goethals. 
And he looked at the rivers and mountains and lakes and said, "I can 
do it." And he dug a valley across the Isthmus and filled it with water, 
so that ships can sail from sea to sea. Did he say to that great mass 
of earth, "Remove hence to yonder place"? Yes, that's what he said. 
But what he did was to get a shovel and begin to dig. He had faith 
in himself. 

Over against this picture of achievement place these pictures. 

There's a problem in algebra to be done, or in geometry or arith- 
metic, or an essay to write. "Oh, I can't do that problem, I just can't. 
I can't think of another thing to say." Did you ever say that? Or 
mother asks you to go into the other room to get a certain book. And 
you go and look around a little and then you come back and say, "Oh, 



FAITH 97 

I can't find it anywhere." Or you are trying to make something and it 
doesn't go very well, and you say impatiently, "Oh, if I only had some 
decent tools I could make something." Or perhaps you've hurt some- 
one's feelings and you know you ought to apologize. You really want 
to make up. But all you do is to say, "I can't" — and then the first 
thing you know your chance is gone. It's too late. 

The other day I read a story about two persons. One was called 
Can and the other was called Could.* Could was a lazy person who 
got up about ten o'clock, because, as he said, he couldn't wake up any 
earlier. He would get down to his office about noon and fiddle around 
a little, then come home. He never seemed to get anythingdone. There 
were always too many interruptions and difficulties. Can was more 
lively. She got up at seven because she couldn't afford to lose those 
three good morning hours. She was always busy about something and 
seemed to get a great deal done, and everybody liked her. 

One day as she started out of the house she saw a bit of an orange- 
peel on the sidewalk. "Oh, dear !" she said. "It's such a pity for peo- 
ple to throw these around. Every year someone gets a bad fall because 
of them." And she stooped down and picked up the peel and threw it 
into a waste-paper barrel. Presently she came upon some children 
who were eating oranges and throwing the peels on the walk. One of 
them was carrying a baby. "Is that your brother ? " asked Can. "Yes," 
replied the girl. "Isn't he pretty? He's just eight months old." 
"Aren't you afraid you'll drop him?" "Oh, no. I never let him fall." 
"Don't you ever slip on an orange-peel or a banana-skin?" "Oh, I 
don't know. We always chuck 'em around." "And you never slipped 
on one?" "I guess maybe I did once; I broke a cup I was carrying and 
hurt my elbow." "Suppose you should slip on a peel and let the baby 
fall! It might hurt him very badly." "Well, I suppose maybe it 
might." "And think of all the mothers who carry babies along the 
walk! Suppose they should slip and fall!" By this time the children 
had stopped throwing down the peels and one child started to pick up 
hers. And then they all joined in, and before Can had gone there 
wasn't a peel in sight. 

Now, it happened that Could was out walking in another part of 

* Adapted from "Can and Could," as found in Sneath, et al, The Golden Door Book. 



98 FAITH 

the city, and as he went along he saw a bit of an orange-peel. "Too 
bad, too bad !" he said. "It's a great pity for people to throw these 
around. Someone gets hurt on one every year." But instead of pick- 
ing up the peel he only said, "Now, if I were Mayor, or Street Com- 
missioner, I would see that these streets are kept free from such danger- 
ous things. He had taken only a few steps when he heard a great 
crash, and, looking round, he saw that a man carrying a bag of coal 
across the sidewalk had slipped down, and the coal had fallen all around 
his head, almost burying him. "What a pity!" said Could. "How 
glad I would be to help him if I only could do something." Presently 
people came running from all directions. The man seemed dazed as 
they raised him up. "Yes," said Could, "he seems to be badly hurt. 
Now, if I were only a doctor, perhaps I could be of some assistance. 
How hard it is to want so to help my fellow creatures and be able to 
do so little!" Just then he noticed a bit of orange-peel sticking to the 
heel of the man's shoe. "Ah!" he cried. "It is just as I expected. 
What a pity it is for people to be so careless!" And he turned and went 
on his way, muttering to himself, "If I were only Governor or Mayor, 
what a lot I could do for folks!" 

"Be strong! 
We are not here to sleep, to dream, to drift, 
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift. 
Shun not the struggle; face it. 'Tis God's gift. 

Be strong ! 
Say not the days are evil, — who's to blame ? 
And fold the hands and acquiesce, — O shame ! 
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name. 

Be strong ! 
It matters not how deep-entrenched the wrong, 
How hard the battle goes, the day, how long. 
Faint not, fight on ! To-morrow comes the song." 

— Maltbie D. Babcock. 

PRAYER 

Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the strength that comes 
from Thee. Forgive us that we so often give up and fail to finish the 
thing we begin, that we do not begin the thing we know we ought to 



FAITH 99 

do. Thou hast given us strong bodies and minds just so we may be 
able to do hard things. 

Make us self-reliant, confident that we can do all that we ought 
to do, because we know that Thou wilt give us no trial which we shall 
not be able to endure. 

We think as we pray of those whose strength is taken away through 
sickness or sorrow, through lack of food or rest, our classmates, our 
mothers or fathers, the victims of war, those who are without work. 
Give them fresh courage. May their hope be fixed on better days to 
come, and may each of us strive to the utmost of his power to bring 
the better days, when suffering and sorrow shall flee away, and the whole 
world shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the 
sea. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Faith in One Another 

Jesus said: " Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter 
into the Kingdom of God." 

That seems like a strange thing to say. It sounds almost as though 
we were to grow backward. He must have thought a great deal of 
little children to say that about them. Perhaps we who are six and 
seven and eight and nine and ten and eleven and twelve and thirteen 
and fourteen and fifteen and sixteen (etc.) — perhaps we are losing some- 
thing as the years go by. If we are, these words of Jesus say that we've 
got to go right back to the Kindergarten and learn it all over again. 
What do you suppose he means? 

Just after Christmas, on one of those beautiful days we had in 
January, I was sitting on a bench on Riverside Drive looking out across 
the river. Suddenly a little child — he could not have been more than 
five years old — ran up to me and leaned against my knee. "What did 
you get for Christmas?" he asked me. I told him, and then I said, 
"And what did you have for Christmas?" And he told me about his 
presents and then went on up the Drive. He had never seen me before, 
and yet he trusted me. He believed in me. And I hope that, for that 
moment at least, I was good enough to be trusted. 

In the spring of 1915 there was an account in the newspapers about 
how General Scott was called out West to handle some Indians who 



100 FAITH 

were causing trouble. They had felt that they weren't being fairly 
treated, and they had become resentful. Indeed, the cowboys said 
that some of them had actually killed somebody, and it looked as though 
there might be a serious uprising. All the white people were scared 
and began to arm themselves to put down the rebellion. Things didn't 
get any better, and so they sent for General Scott. He is a veteran 
from the days of the Western Indian wars. In the bloody days of Ari- 
zona people used to say that a good Indian was a dead Indian. But 
for thirty years General Scott has gone on the principle that live In- 
dians are good and can be trusted. So he went out there, and, instead of 
getting together a band of men and going out to fight the Indians, he 
sent a messenger to them and said he would like to talk things over. 
And then he went unarmed to the camp of the Indians in revolt. A 
few of them came around, and General Scott was friendly to them, asked 
them how they were, and gave them some presents. The next day they 
came back and had a good talk, and he kept on talking things over with 
them till they felt that he was their friend and that they could trust 
him. So he asked some of them to go along with him back to town. 
Without a moment's hesitation they agreed to go. And they didn't 
have to be handcuffed or tied to their horses. They just came along 
of their own accord — and all because he trusted them and believed they 
would. 

The child, in his ignorance and innocence, trusted me. General 
Scott, in his wisdom and experience, trusted the Indians. 

Next Sunday is Easter, and we are reminded of that last week when 
Jesus' life was drawing to its terrible and triumphant end. You re- 
member how, after the last supper, he and his disciples went out to the 
Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew that Judas, one of his own friends, 
had betrayed him, and it almost seems as though he began to doubt 
the others and to fear that they would not stand by him. But did he 
give up and say: ' What's the use? No one is interested in what I'm 
doing. I guess I'll quit"? No. He kept on believing in them. 

Then the mob came, and all the disciples deserted him — except 
Peter. And Peter followed afar off. And then even Peter denied him 
three times in the court of the High Priest's house. 

How often have we said, when we were trying to do something, 



FAITH 101 

" What's the use. No one is interested in what I'm doing. I'm going 
to quit"? Did he say that? No. He just kept on believing. His 
faith in them was like a rock. It could not be shaken. Just as the 
magnet, which you have seen, draws the bits of iron to itself, so the faith 
which Jesus put in these men drew them unto himself and held them 
there. 

Suppose he hadn't trusted them? We would probably never have 
even heard that such a man as Jesus ever lived. All that Christianity 
means to us, all that it has accomplished in the world, would never have 
taken place. 

This is the sort of faith God has in us, even when we disappoint 
Him. And it's the sort of faith He expects us to have in one another, 
even when we disappoint one another. It begins like the faith of a 
little child and it grows up to be like the faith of God. 

Now perhaps you see what Jesus meant when he said: " Except ye 
become as little children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." 

PRAYER 

Thou who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, we 
thank Thee for the power of faith by which Thou art transforming the 
world. Forgive us our mistrust. Forgive us if we have prevented any 
one from being all he should be because we failed to trust him enough. 
Thou dost trust us in spite of all our failures; and we know that we 
couldn't be half what we are if it weren't that our fathers and mothers 
and friends believe in us and expect us to do our best. 

Help us to have faith in every one of Thy children, just as we want 
them to have faith in us. And so, by the power of the faith which Jesus 
had in his disciples, by the power of the faith which Thou dost have in 
Thy wayward and quarrelling children, by the power of the faith which 
we have in one another, may the days of peace and goodwill be estab- 
lished in the earth. 

We ask it in the name of him who trusted even those who slew 
him. Amen. 



102 FAITH 

Faith Is Hope Plus Work 

It isn't very long since I told you the story about the discontented 
grubs who finally grew up to be dragon-flies. We were thinking then 
of a certain kind of faith — faith that is sure that there is something 
good in store for us in the unknown future. Last week we thought of 
the faith that is sure of being able to do all that we ought to do — that 
doesn't sit down and say, "I would if I could," but stands up and says, 
"I can and I will." 

There is another kind of faith. You'll find it described about half- 
way down the prayer we say together. There's a very short word there, 
and just before it is a long word. I like them both — " unconquerable 
hope." Every one in this room is hoping for something. It may be 
something good or something bad; something big or little; something 
to do, or to get, or to give, or to be. We have set our hearts on some- 
thing, for which we are willing to work and, if need be, to suffer. 

About nineteen centuries ago someone, whose name nobody knows, 
wrote an essay in Greek. Part of it is about just this sort of faith. 
Let me read you what it says. (Read Heb. 11:1, 8-10, 24-27, 32-38; 
12 : 1-2. 

"Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured — " That's just 
it. And how many others there are who have done that ! Augustine, 
Savonarola, Luther, Lincoln — pioneers and pathfinders, who have pushed 
back the boundaries of ignorance and prejudice, and opened up new 
realms of achievement, just because they could see, beyond the horizon, 
things' to which others were blind. 

Jesus saw farther than any man who ever lived, and what he saw 
and gave his life for he called the Kingdom of God. And we're still 
praying for it. Every time we say the Lord's Prayer we say, "Thy 
Kingdom come." But faith means more than just wishing and hoping 
and asking. It means working and suffering. It means trying to see 
how each thing we do — our lessons, our games, our work at home — how 
each thing might be done better, and then setting about it to do it better. 
It means trying to find out how some of the wrongs which we see around 
us in our own little world might be righted, and then setting about it 
to right them. It means keeping constantly before our minds the 



FAITH 103 

picture of a world in which all shall follow this very simple rule — "Be 
ye kind one to another" — and then proceeding to do all we can to make 
the picture come true. This is what we mean when we say, "Thy 
Kingdom come." 

PRAYER 

Father, we bring to Thee our hopes, asking that Thou wilt purify 
them. Cleanse us from all unworthy desires. Inspire us by the vision 
of things worth doing and worth being. 

Each day brings to us its work and play, its opportunities to be 
generous or mean, kind or thoughtless, rude or courteous, selfish or 
helpful. Help us to put away from us the unmanly and cowardly 
things and to brace ourselves to make for what is good and just and 
pure, knowing that with Thy help We shall succeed. 

We ask it for Thy Kingdom's sake. Amen. 

Walter's Prize Song 

You all remember the name of Wagner, the great musician. Many 
years ago he wrote a beautiful opera called "Die Meistersinger." It 
tells the story of a boy named Walter. Walter had not had much 
education, but he felt that there was something wrong about the music 
which people were composing in those days. It was too mechanical. 

Now, he himself could write beautiful melodies. So one day when 
there was going to be a great musical contest between the best musicians 
of the day he wanted to compete, too. It took a lot of courage for 
him to enter the contest with so many men who had been trained 
long and carefully in all the science of music. But he did it. And 
to-day Mr. C. is going to play his song to us. It is called "Walter's 
Prize Song." 

Now, when he plays it, you notice how at first Walter is not quite 
sure of himself. The music is soft and a little hesitating. But he keeps 
at it, and gradually he gets more confidence and the melody comes out 
stronger and clearer. Now and then he falters a little. But then the 
thought of what he set out to accomplish encourages him, and at last 
he begins to feel the wonderful power of his own music. The sense of 



104 FAITH 

victory takes possession of him, and the music breaks into a glorious 
song of triumph. 

Then, at last, in the consciousness of having won his cause, he drops 
back into the softer notes, which gradually melt away into silence. 

Now, when Mr. C. plays, you think of Walter. 

PRAYER 
(After the Organ) 

Our Father in Heaven, we cannot thank Thee enough for the gift 
of music. As we listen to it we seem to lose ourselves in the vision of 
things we long for. We are stirred by the hope of splendid achieve- 
ment. We are quieted by the satisfaction of unspoken desires. 

Father, may the confidence, the hope, the joy, the peace, which 
we now feel, not pass from us, but may we carry with us always the 
glad assurance of Thy constant companionship. May our hearts be 
ever singing with the joy of those that know Thee. May our songs 
of gladness glorify our friendships, in the name of Christ, our friend. 

Amen. 

Jesus, the Explorer 

EASTER 

By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a 
place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and he went out not 
knowing whither he went. 

Of how many men these words might be spoken — of men who, like 
Columbus, started out into the unknown, seeking to push back the 
horizon of human knowledge, to lift the veil behind which he the undis- 
covered worlds. 

Such a man was Captain Scott. Such are Peary and Amundsen. 
Such were Lewis and Clark, the men who opened the great Northwest 
and made plain the path across the desert, a highway for the westward 
flow of American life. 

There is always a first. Someone always has to go first. Some- 
one must blaze each new trail over which the rest of mankind shall 
travel. Someone must play the game and risk his all, in the hope that 
he may lead men into more abundant life. 



FAITH 105 

The pioneers, the explorers, who search for the undiscovered coun- 
tries, are the men of vision and of faith. They see, in the eye 
of the mind, the thing that is to be, and then they go to find it or to 
create it. 

This is how the call comes to the explorer: 

(At this point read, if possible, the first two verses of Kipling's 
"The Explorer," found on page 63 of Poems of Action. See Bibliog- 
raphy, page 32.) 

Jesus was an explorer. He dreamed of an undiscovered country, 
of a new life for mankind. He blazed the trail of the immortal life. 
With his own hands he built a highway unto the living God. Through 
his eyes men look past the veil of mystery far down the vistas of eter- 
nity. No one else had ever dared to live as though he were immortal. 
He dared do it. He was the pioneer of the new way of life that leads 
straight on across the valley of the shadow of death into the City of 
God. 

On this Easter morning — 

" Jesus calls us, o'er the tumult 
Of our life's wild restless sea. 
Day by day his clear voice soundeth, 
Saying, ' Christian, follow me ! ' " 

As the explorer sees the something lost behind the ranges, and hears 
the something calling him to go, so we see beyond us the vision of the 
Christlike life; so we hear the Master's voice calling to us to follow him. 
(Read Phil. 3 : 13-14.) 

PRAYER 

Our Father, we thank Thee for the life of Jesus, our Master. He 
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through him we have learned of 
Thee and Thy Fatherly care for us. In his face have we seen the light 
of the knowledge of Thy glory. Strengthened by his wonderful trust in 
Thee, we have learned to fear nothing in this world save selfishness and 
sin. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we 
will fear no evil, for Thou art with us. 

We believe that all our friends and those who have passed on into 



106 FAITH 

the unseen City are safe in Thy keeping. For them as for ourselves, 
may the song of Easter be sung in our hearts. 

Help us to see, Thou Father of mankind, help us to see the vision 
of Thy glorious Kingdom in which there is no death, neither mourning 
nor crying nor pain any more, and to the building of this Thy Kingdom 
help us, God, to consecrate our lives in the spirit and strength of 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

We ask it in his name. Amen. 

The Easter Message 

Our little friends of the First Grade have just been singing that Easter 
is the happiest of days. Why is everybody so happy at Easter? I'll 
tell you one reason. It is because spring is here, and Mother Earth is 
waking up from her long winter's sleep. The grass out in the quadrangle 
has already turned green. Soon the birds will come from their warm 
Southern homes and begin to build their nests. The little green leaves 
will come out on the trees along by the river and over in the park. The 
warm sun will remind us that soon many of us will leave the great city 
and go away off into the country, where the voices of woods and flowers 
and hills are calling us to come. And Easter is the beginning of spring, 
when we see new life in the earth and feel new life in ourselves — and 
we're just glad ! 

And there is another reason, too, for being glad at Easter. 

You remember how the disciples of Jesus were overwhelmed with 
grief and disappointment when they knew that this friend, whom they 
had come to think of as the Saviour of their people Israel, was dead. 
They were saddened, too, by the memory of their own disloyalty to him. 
All the hope which he had aroused in their hearts about the coming of 
a new kingdom was now gone. They had scattered to their homes in 
sorrow. 

And then as they thought over all that Jesus, their friend and 
teacher, had meant to them in his short life, they began to feel a great 
hope stirring in their hearts that perhaps Jesus had not gone from them 
after all, but was somehow with them still. They just couldn't believe 
that a man so great and good could really die before his work was done ! 



FAITH 107 

And this conviction grew and grew until it seemed to them that Jesus 
himself was really urging them and helping them to carry on the work 
he had begun. They still felt his power over their lives, perhaps more 
than when they walked with him over the hills of Galilee. 

And they went forth into the world strengthened by this faith, 
saying, "We will prove to men that Jesus is not dead, but lives in the 
hearts of all those who follow him." 

That was many centuries ago, but since then just see how that 
little band of followers has grown to be the great Church of Christ, 
spread over the whole earth. And every Easter, from that day to this, 
Christians say one to another, "Let us go forth and prove to men that 
Jesus is not dead but lives. For we shall show that in all true Chris- 
tians the work he began two thousand years ago is being carried forward 
still, and his spirit still rules in their hearts." 

And so the Easter message rings through all the earth, and we are 
glad and the world is glad, because we believe that we all shall live and 
work together in a glorious and everlasting fellowship, with one another, 
with those who have gone on before us, and with our Heavenly Father. 

PRAYER 

Father of Light and Love, Thou makest the earth to blossom as 
the rose and dost cause the hearts of men to sing with joy and thanks- 
giving. Thou art ever kind to us, for the earth is beautiful to live in 
and the sunshine of spring makes us glad. 

In these days of Easter time we have been thinking more about 
Jesus, our Master. We feel that as the years go by we are coming to 
understand him better. We think about his strong courage, his tender- 
ness, his sympathy, his mighty endurance, his power over men, and our 
hearts go out to him in trust as to one who can lead us even to Thee, O 
Father, for in his face we behold the light of the knowledge of Thy 
glory. 

We pray, our Father, that the spirit of Christ may come into our 
lives. Help us to live every day as Thy children should live. May we 
reach out helping hands to all who need our sympathy and love. May 
all Thy children everywhere learn to live in friendliness and peace. 
Then shall all the world know that Christ is risen indeed, for Thy King- 



108 FAITH 

dom shall have come and Thy will shall be done on earth as it is done in 
heaven, and the spirit of our Master shall live in the heart of every 
child of God. Amen. 

The Game oe Liee 

If I should ask you why you play games — tennis and baseball and 
drop-the-handkerchief, hop-scotch, basket-ball, chess, checkers, tag, hare 
and hounds, and all the rest — you would probably say: " Because I like 
to." And if I should ask you why you like to you would probably 
say: " Because it's fun." And if I should ask you why you think it is 
fun you would probably say: "I don't know. It's just fun, that's all." 
And perhaps if you asked me, I'd say: "I don't know, either." 

But I think I know some reasons why it is fun to play games. One 
is because it's exciting. You never know just what's going to happen 
next. There's an uncertainty about it that keeps you on the watch. 
You don't know who is going to get the handkerchief. You come to 
the last inning with the score — 0, three men on bases, two men out, 
and two strikes against the batter, and a whole lot depends on what 
happens next. Games are exciting. 

And another reason is that they take skill. You have to know how. 
You like to play with people who can play. well, and the better you 
play, the better you like the game. 

A third reason is because there are rules. Maybe you don't always 
like rules, but it would be a queer game that didn't have any rules. 
The rules make the game. They tell you what to do. And you have 
to play according to rules, too. If you don't, you get put out of the 
game. 

I wonder if you ever noticed how every game is a series of little 
games. Every inning is a little game of baseball all by itself. You 
can lose in several innings and still win the whole game. And when 
you have a series of games the whole season is like one big game. You 
can lose several games and still come out victorious for the whole series. 
In something the same way all our games, our studies, our class work, 
our clubs, our work at home, and by and by our business, all these things 
are parts of the game of life. And we can be defeated in several of 
these smaller games and still win out in the larger game of life. 



FAITH 109 

And the game of life has its rules, too. You know some of them: 
Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not cheat. Thou shalt not steal. 
Thou shalt be friends with every one. These rules run through all 
our smaller games, and sometimes obeying these rules means getting 
defeated in one of the little games, but it means winning out in the 
game of life. 

You may find teams that don't play always according to rule. They 
take advantage of the other side when the umpire isn't looking. Maybe 
they win their little game, but they are defeated in the larger game of 
life of which the smaller game is a part. 

Sometimes you may find that the people you are playing with don't 
want you to play fair; they want you to win at any cost. And it may be 
that you'll be in a position in which you'll have to choose between play- 
ing crooked and being put off the team. But if you can, you'll find a 
captain who knows the game and who wants to play fair, whom you 
can trust, who knows what to do, and who will look out for you and back 
you up when you play fair. 

We have a captain in the game of life. I wonder if you have ever 
thought how we came to choose him for our captain. I'll tell you. 

It happened a long time ago. Jesus grew up believing that peo- 
ple weren't playing fair. They weren't obeying the rules. The rules 
weren't so bad, but they twisted them all around so that they only 
seemed to obey them when really they did not. So Jesus put the most 
important rules in very simple form and summed them all up in these 
two: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind and with all 
thy heart and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself. 

But the people wouldn't stand for it. They refused to play accord- 
ing to the rules, and he had to choose between playing crooked and 
being put off the team. And they put him off the team — they put him 
to death. 

But some of those who had known the rules and had seen how he 
stood by them to the very last became convinced that he was right, 
that the only way we can succeed in the biggest of all games, which we 
shall play on down through eternity, is to play according to the rules 
of the game. 

And so they made him captain of their team because they could 



110 LOYALTY 

trust him. He knew the rules down to the ground. He knew what to 
do, and he could take care of them and back them up when they played 
fair. He wasn't afraid. So why should they be afraid to get into the 
game of life and play it hard and play it fair? And they weren't afraid, 
and they did get into the game, and they did get defeated — but in the 
larger game of eternal life they were victorious. 

On Easter we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ, our Captain, 
and the victory of all those who have played their game and played it 
fair and who have followed him into the eternal city. 

(Read first and last verses of " Vital Lampada," in Poems of Action. 
See Bibliography, page 32.) 

LOYALTY 
Peter 

It is only two or three weeks before Easter. I want to read to you 
about something that happened before the first Easter many hundreds 
of years ago. It's a long story, so I will read only a little of it here 
and there. 

Jesus and his few friends had just eaten their last supper together. 
Leaving the noisy city, they had walked across the valley to the cool, 
dark gardens of the Mount of Olives, where Jesus could be quite alone 
with his disciples for the last time. 

Presently Jesus said to them, "You will all be dismayed at what is 
going to happen." "All the others may be dismayed," said Peter, 
"but I never will." "Peter," said Jesus quietly, "this very night, 
before the morning comes, you yourself will disown me three times." 

"Even if I must die with you," declared Peter again and again, 
"I will never disown you." And the other disciples said the same thing. 

And they went into the garden of Gethsemane. And he asked them 
to wait for him and to watch while he went on farther and prayed. But 
when he returned to them he found them all asleep. "Simon," he 
said, "could you not keep awake a single hour?" Three times he went 
and prayed, and each time, instead of watching, they went to sleep. 
Suddenly he heard the murned sound of hurrying footsteps and the 
murmuring of a crowd. "Come," he said, "rouse yourselves; my be- 



LOYALTY 111 

trayer is at hand." And even while he spoke, Judas, one of his friends, 
came, leading a crowd of men armed with swords and cudgels. And 
they seized Jesus. Then all his friends forsook him and fled. 

So they led Jesus away to the High Priest's house. And Peter fol- 
lowed at a distance as far as the outer court of the High Priest's house. 
But there he remained sitting with the officers and warming himself by 
the fire. 

Now, while Peter was there, one of the High Priest's maid-servants 
came, and, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, 
"You also were with Jesus the Nazarene." But he denied it and said, 
"I don't know. I don't understand. What do you mean?" 

And then he went out into the outer court. Again the maid-servant 
saw him, and again she began to say to the people standing by, "He is 
one of them." 

A second time he denied it. ' Soon afterward the bystanders again 
accused Peter, saying, "You surely are one of them, for you are a Gali- 
lean." But he broke out into curses and oaths, saying, "I know noth- 
ing of the man you are talking about." 

Just then the Master turned and looked at Peter. And then Peter 
remembered how Jesus had said, "Before morning you will disown me 
three times." 

And he went away from the palace weeping bitterly. And Jesus 
was left alone. (Compiled from recent translations.) 

All this, I say, was before the first Easter. You all know what 
happened after the first Easter — how all these men, who had deserted 
him in his last hours of lonely suffering, came together once more with a 
new purpose and a new courage in their hearts. In Peter's heart Peter 
the Coward was dead and Peter the Loyal was born — and so it was with 
all the rest. And from that time they never again forsook their Master. 

I suppose that Peter the Coward would never have become Peter 
the Loyal if it had not been for that first terrible Good Friday and 
that first glorious Easter. But that all happened many centuries ago. 
We do not have to pass through those days again in order to become 
loyal to the Master. We can be loyal to Jesus even in the First Grade, 
can't we ? 



112 LOYALTY 

But as we get older and grow up, if we really are to be loyal to him, 
we must enter more fully into the responsibilities of discipleship. 

How can we do so? 

When those friends of his came together again and resolved to carry 
on his work no matter what might happen to them, they formed 
the organization, the club if you will, of only twelve members, out of 
which has grown the Church of Christ. With all its mistakes, the church 
has at heart, as its sole purpose, to carry on the work Jesus began. 
And so people who want to make their efforts count for most usually 
join forces with his organization and work in co-operation with the 
thousands and thousands of others all over the world who are working 
for the same ends. 

And so the Church of Christ is waiting for you. Whenever, as 
time goes on, you come to feel that you would like to stand up and say 
to all the world that you want to be on the side of Jesus Christ, to be 
loyal to him, and to help carry on the work of his Kingdom, the church 
stands ready to receive you into full membership — with what joy it 
shall receive you you can only know when, as you grow older, you see 
these smaller brothers and sisters of yours following in your footsteps. 

PRAYER 

O God, our Father, we are made strong by the strength of Christ. 
Our hearts are bound to him as we remember how he was faithful to 
Thee even unto death. The more we think of him the more we love 
him, and the more eager we are to follow him. To whom shall we go 
but to him? There is none other whom we can trust so completely, 
none other who can teach us the way of life, none other who can reveal 
to us the glory of Thy face. 

Help us to trust him. Would that we might never betray his trust 
in us. May cowardice die in our hearts and loyalty be born anew with 
each new day, for each new day we would renew our allegiance to him 
who is the Master of Life. 

And all our prayer we offer in his name. Amen. 



LOYALTY 113 



David's Mighty Men 



King David had many mighty men to serve him; and he himself 
was a great warrior. Many were the wars he fought against his ene- 
mies, the Philistines, who lived toward the west along the coast. And 
many were the deeds of valor which he and his men performed. Among 
these followers were three who were especially noted for their bravery 
and loyalty to King David. You may read about them in the twenty- 
third chapter of the second book of Samuel. 

There was Adino, who fought against eight hundred men. And 
Eleazar, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the 
Philistines that were gathered together to do battle. And there was 
Shammah, who, when everybody else had fled, stood his ground against 
a band of Philis tines which had come to forage the land. 

But these men knew how to show their loyalty in other ways than 
by fighting. 

One day David was besieged in the cave of Adullam. It was the 
Philistines who were besieging him. They were encamped not far 
away — in Bethlehem, which was David's own home town. The sun 
was blazing hot, and the air was very dry, as it usually is in that country; 
and David was very thirsty. And as he thought about the cool, fresh 
water of the well in Bethlehem, he began to long for a drink of water, 
and he said aloud to himself, "Oh, that someone would bring me water 
to drink from the well at Bethlehem that is by the gate !" 

Now it happened that these three men overheard what David said. 
They knew that the Philistines were encamped in Bethlehem, yet, with- 
out a moment's hesitation, they took up their armor and went down 
from the cave and across the valley to Bethlehem. And they broke 
through the host of the Philistines, and drew water from the well that 
was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. 

And when David saw it, he was so touched by their devotion to him 
that he could hardly speak. And he took the cup tenderly in his hand. 
But when he thought of the terrible risk they had run just that he 
might quench his thirst, he would not drink the water, but poured it 
out upon the ground as a thank-offering to Jehovah. And he said: 
"Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this. Shall I drink 



114 LOYALTY 

the blood of the men that went in danger of their lives?" Therefore 
he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men. 

PRAYER 

God, our Father, our hearts are stirred by the stories of brave 
men who have done great things for one another, who have given them- 
selves, with a generous abandon, to the serving of their friends. It is 
by such deeds that the little courtesies of life are ennobled and made 
divine. For such deeds tell of the heart's devotion and of the faithful- 
ness of loyal friendship. 

How patient and true and strong is Thy friendship for us ! We 
know we disappoint Thee often. We are often careless. We are often 
thoughtless of others. We make our friends sorry by hasty words. 
And when we make things unpleasant for our friends, or for anybody, 
we know that we have no right to be called Christians. Yet Thou art 
always patient. Thy loving-kindness endure th forever. Thy gentle- 
ness, O God, gives us strength. Help us to resolve to be more loyal 
to one another. May we learn the joy that comes from true courtesy, 
from being faithful to duty, from helping things along. So may we 
earn our citizenship in Thy Kingdom. 

We pray, our Father, for the many, many people who are this day 
suffering in the loss of homes and loved ones. We are glad that so much 
is being done to relieve distress of body. Do Thou minister to distress 
of mind and heart, and bring comfort to those who are worn out with 
sorrow and pain. 

And all this we ask for Christ's sake. Amen. 

A Camp-Fire Girl 

This is a true story. It is about a Camp-Fire Girl. Those of you 
who are now members probably know the Law of the Camp-Fire by 
heart. But as the rest do not, I will tell you what it is. "To seek 
beauty. To give service. To pursue knowledge. To be trustworthy. 
To hold on to health. To glorify work. To be happy." The little 
story I am going to tell has to do with three of these laws: To give 
service; to be trustworthy; to glorify work. 



LOYALTY 115 

I suppose you all remember the great pageant that was presented 
at the big armory by the Y. W. C. A. a short time ago. Perhaps some 
of you saw it. But even if you only read about it, you probably felt 
what an enormous lot of work somebody had to do in order to arrange 
for so extensive an exhibition of the work of the association. There 
were rehearsals to go to, and costumes to make, and dances to practise, 
and parts to learn. And you can imagine that after some weeks of this 
sort of thing the girls got pretty tired. 

But the worst time came during the week of the performance. The 
night before, there was the dress rehearsal, from which many did not 
get home till after midnight. Then came the long day of furious rush 
and anxiety about the many details that inevitably came at the last 
minute. Then came the performance itself, with the strain of appear- 
ing before an audience of thousands of people. So that by the time the 
affair was over, almost all the girls were completely fagged, and no one 
wanted to do another thing but go home and go to bed. 

But in getting ready in the afternoon, naturally all the spare room 
had been rather littered up, and things were dirty and disordered. 

As soon as the performance was over one of the girls, who was younger 
than the rest, started to put things to rights in the small corner for which 
she felt responsible, and to sweep up a little before leaving. 

"Oh, don't do that," everybody said; "you're too tired to do any- 
thing more to-night." And indeed she was. She looked as though she 
had hardly strength enough left to get home, much less to clean up. 

"Oh, come on home," they said. "The scrubwomen will do all 
this." But the more they talked the harder she worked, and all the 
time she was so tired she could have cried. 

Finally she couldn't stand being talked to that way any longer. 
"Look here," she said, "you folks go on home. I know I don't have 
to do this. Maybe you don't realize it, but Fm a Camp-Fire Girl !" 

PRAYER 

Our Heavenly Father, every time we hear about some simple act of 
devotion we feel somehow as though we had come into touch with 
Thee. In the faces of those who are faithful we have seen reflected the 
glory of God. And when our hearts are hallowed by the sense of Thy 



116 LOYALTY 

gracious presence, then little commonplace things that people do are 
seen often to throb with the spirit of heroic consecration. 

Forgive us, our Father, that we so take for granted the faithful 
service of those who care for us or help us in any way. Forgive us 
that we so often fail to do even our duty toward them. We have let 
our mothers put away the books or papers or toys and playthings that 
we have been using, when our mothers were as tired as we. When we 
feel cross and ill-natured inside, we forget that perhaps other people 
feel that way too, and that if we are going to be Christians we've got 
to be pleasant and try to make other folks happy. 

For all the other little things we leave undone, O Father, help us 
to hold ourselves to strict account. Help us to be faithful to every trust, 
to regard each task as the call of God to do our duty. And may we give 
ourselves with a joyous abandon to the service of our Master, Jesus 
Christ. And this we ask in his name. Amen. 

The Spirit of Patriotism 
Lincoln's birthday 

Faith of our fathers. We young folks perhaps feel sometimes that 
we can do things much better than our fathers did. The present gener- 
ation is supposed to be very wise and superior. But did you ever stop 
to think that if this is true — and I'm not proposing to discuss it — if 
it is true that we are better and wiser than our forefathers, then it is 
true just because they planned to have it so. After all, we are what 
our fathers have made us. We have the things they gave us. We 
enjoy the opportunities they made possible. 

Take our country, for example. Where did we get our America? 
Little by little, its institutions, its government, its industries, its ideals 
have been built up by the labor and wisdom of past generations. Some 
have done more than others, perhaps. But to them all we owe some- 
thing. 

And particularly to Washington and Lincoln do we owe more than 
you or I can ever estimate. The burdens they bore so splendidly we 
shall never have to bear. 

Something of the high spirit of these mighty men is in the poem 



LOYALTY 117 

called " Lincoln, the Man of the People," by Edwin Markham. I 
read it because it shows us what it is that has made men like Lincoln 
great; because it rings with the spirit men must have now if our coun- 
try is to grow into the great, good nation we hope and believe it shall 
become. 

Lincoln, the Man of the People* 

"When the Norn Mother saw the Whirlwind Hour 
Greatening and darkening as it hurried on, 
She left the Heaven of Heroes and came down 
To make a man to meet the mortal need. 
She took the tried clay of the common road — 
Clay warm yet with the ancient heat of Earth, 
Dashed through it all a strain of prophecy; 
Tempered the heat with thrill of human tears; 
Then mixed a laughter with the serious stuff. 
Into the shape she breathed a flame to light 
That tender, tragic, ever-changing face. 
Here was a man to hold against the world, 
A man to match the mountains and the sea. 

The color of the ground was in him, the red earth; 

The smack and tang of elemental things: 

The rectitude and patience of the cliff; 

The goodwill of the rain that loves all leaves; 

The friendly welcome of the wayside well; 

The courage of the bird that dares the sea; 

The gladness of the wind that shakes the corn; 

The mercy of the snow that hides all scars; 

The secrecy of streams that make their way 

Beneath the mountain to the rifted rock; 

The undelaying justice of the light 

That gives as freely to the shrinking flower 

As to the great oak flaring to the wind — 

To the grave's low hill as to the Matterhorn 

That shoulders out the sky. 

Sprung from the West, 
The strength of virgin forests braced his mind, 
The hush of spacious prairies stilled his soul. 
Up from log cabin to the Capitol, 
One fire was on his spirit, one resolve — 
To send the keen axe to the root of wrong, 

* From Lincoln and Other Poems. Used by permission of Doubleday, Page & Co. 



118 LOYALTY 

Clearing a free way for the feet of God. 
And evermore he burned to do his deed 
With the fine stroke and gesture of a king: 
He built the rail-pile as he built the State, 
Pouring his splendid strength through every blow, 
The conscience of him testing every stroke, 
To make his deed the measure of a man. 

So came the Captain with the thinking heart; 
And when the judgment thunders split the House, 
Wrenching the rafters from their ancient rest, 
He held the ridge-pole up, and spiked again 
The rafters of the Home. He held his place — 
Held the long purpose like a growing tree — 
Held on through blame and faltered not at praise. 
And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down 
As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs, 
Goes down with a great shout upon the hills, 
And leaves a lonesome place against the sky." 

— Edwin Markham. 

PRAYER 

God, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for our country. We 
have received much at her hand. We have been kept safe from harm. 
The bread we eat, the clothes we wear, the schools we go to, the hills 
and woods and rivers, the manifold life of the great city — all these things 
our country has provided for us. 

For generations the men we honor have labored to make our coun- 
try into a great home for its citizens, a home where all who love freedom 
and righteousness may live at peace with one another and with the 
world. And now, as we grow into the strength of manhood or woman- 
hood, we want to take our part, our Father, in the world's work. We 
want to shoulder a citizen's share of responsibility for the great home 
which is common to us all. We want to help purify it of all taint of 
evil. We want to add to its store of good, so that everyone who lives 
within its protecting borders may enjoy the abundance of life which is 
their Christian heritage. 

We pray for all who administer the affairs of our government. Give 
them wisdom and self-control that they may carry out Thy purposes 
for our country. We pray for all its people, that they may have work 
to do and bread to eat and homes to love. Keep all Thy children in 



LOYALTY 119 

safety and peace and cheerful industry, both in this land and in all 
lands. And at last may Thy Kingdom come in all the earth. We ask 
it in the name of Jesus, who is leading all nations onward into the light 
of the knowledge of Thy glory. Amen. 

Daniel's Loyalty 

In the second century before Christ, the little country of Palestine 
was coming under the influence of Greek and Roman civilization. The 
rulers were trying to force the people, by all sorts of cruelties, to aban- 
don the religion and the customs of their fathers and to adopt the ways 
of the Greeks. Many suffered terrible tortures rather than go back 
on what they thought was right. Among the books written at that 
time to help the people to be faithful was the book of Daniel, which is 
now in our Bible. 

You know the story. It is about a man named Daniel, who with 
his three friends was carried off to Babylon at the time of the Jewish 
exile, years before. The story has it that their good sense brought them 
into prominence, and Daniel became an adviser to the King himself. 
This made some of the princes angry, and they tried to get Daniel into 
trouble. But in spite of persecution Daniel was faithful to his religion. 
This is one of the stories that is told about him. 

(Read here Dan. 6 : 1-9.) 

But Daniel, as was the custom with good Jews, had been in the 
habit of praying to God three times a day. Now he knew that it would 
be dangerous for him to keep this up, since the King, to please his cour- 
tiers, had just made a law forbidding it. Nevertheless . . . (Continue 
the reading here through verse 16.) 

And if you want to know the rest of the story, read the sixth chapter 
of Daniel. 

PRAYER 

God, our Father, even to-day it is often hard for people to hold 
fast to Thee. Many of our friends, who are trying to do right and to 
deal fairly with other people, find it hard to be honorable and just in 
every little thing when others are winning fame and wealth by deeds 
of dishonor and oppression and injustice. Only Thou knowest the ter- 



120 LOYALTY 

rible temptations which come to those who possess power over men, 
power in money, in politics, in business. We pray, our Father, that 
Thou wilt strengthen these men. Help them to keep before their eyes 
the vision of an honorable success, and may no alluring lust or selfish 
ambition, nor any fear of failure, crowd out the high resolves which they 
have made. 

And Thou hast given power also even to the youngest and smallest 
of us. We all can be of help in some way, and we all are learning to 
be more useful every day. Often we are tempted to please ourselves 
instead of doing some little irksome duty which will be of help to some- 
one else. Keep us faithful, Father. May the peevish and thought- 
less words be checked. May our whole desire be to make all around us 
happy. 

And so, as each does his part, shall justice roll down like waters and 
righteousness as a mighty stream. Amen. 

Dink Stover 
loyalty to the truth* 

It had been a hard game. The two teams had been about evenly 
matched and the score at the end of the second half stood 4 — in favor 
of the Kennedy team. A touchdown and a goal would mean victory 
for the team from the Woodhull House. The boys at an academy, 
you know, live in different houses, and these houses or dormitories are 
great rivals in athletics. Each has its own teams in football, baseball, 
and everything else. And so that's why the Woodhulls were so eager 
to make these last few minutes of play count for a touchdown and a 
goal, and so change the score to 6 — 4 in their favor. 

Dink Stover had not been allowed to play because he was wanted 
for a 'varsity game later in the week. And so he was linesman for the 
Kennedy House. It was getting dark and the half was nearly over — 
three more minutes to play. Again and again the Woodhulls furiously 
attacked a weak spot in the Kennedy line, gaining at every rush, past 
the 40-yard line, past the 20-yard mark, and triumphantly, in the last 
minute of play, over the goal-line for a touchdown. The ball had been 

* Adapted from Owen Johnson's The Varmint. Used by permission of Doubleday, Page 
&Co. 



LOYALTY 121 

downed well to the right of the goal-posts and the trial for goal was an 
unusually difficult one. The score was now a tie, and -everything de- 
pended on the goal which, through the dusk, the captain of the Wood- 
hull team was preparing to kick. Dink Stover, as linesman, chanced 
to be standing directly behind the ball. Presently the captain of the 
Woodhulls ran forward, the ball shot high in the air, and to Stover's 
horror passed just barely "inside the posts for a goal. 

"No goal!" shouted the umpire. 

Dink raised his head in surprise, scarcely believing what he had 
heard, for he had seen the ball pass between the posts with his own 
eyes. The other team was furiously disputing the decision. Then 
the umpire brushed aside the contesting, vociferous mass and began to 
take the vote of the officials. 

"Kiefer, what do you say?" The referee shook his head. 

"I'm sorry," he said, "but it did seem a goal to me." 

"Tug, what do you say?" 

"Goal, sure," said the linesman for the Woodhull. At this, jeers 
and hoots broke out from the Kennedy. 

"Of course he'd say that!" 

"He's from the Woodhull!" they cried. 

"Hold up," said the umpire. "Don't get excited. I'll put it up 
to your own man. Dink, was it a goal or no goal?" 

Dink Stover suddenly found himself in a whirling, angry mass — the 
decision of the game in his own hands. He saw the sneers on the faces 
of the Woodhull men as they waited for his answer. Then he saw the 
faces of his own team-mates and knew that they, too, in their frenzy, 
expected him to stand by the team and say that it was not a goal. He 
hesitated. 

"Goal or no goal?" cried the umpire for the second time. 

Then suddenly, face to face with the hostile mass, the righting blood 
came to Dink. He looked once more above the riot to the shadowy 
goal-posts, trying to forget the angry faces, and then, with a snap of 
his jaws, he answered: 

"Goal!" 

There was a sudden silence, and then amid the jeers and execrations 
of his team-mates he turned on his heel and went to his room. 



122 LOYALTY 

Dink had never been popular, and he felt that now he had lost his 
last chance and that everybody would be down on him; for his decision, 
honest though it was, had given the victory to the opposing team. 

But overnight something happened, and he woke up the next day 
to find himself the hero of the school. After the boys had had time to 
cool off and think about it, they had changed their opinion about what 
he did. Admiration for his conduct was expressed on all sides. He 
could hardly go out without being accosted by friends and enemies 
alike, who wanted to shake his hand and tell him he had done the square 
thing. 

"What are they making all this fuss for?" he said to himself. "I 
only told the truth." 

But down in his heart he knew, and all the other boys had come to 
know, that an honest defeat is worth more than a stolen victory. 

PRAYER 

Our Father, Thou knowest all that is in our hearts, all that we 
would hide away in the most secret chamber of our minds. We may 
deceive others. We may deceive ourselves. We cannot deceive Thee. 
Thou art the God of Truth. Every falsehood, every treacherous lie, 
is abominable in Thy sight. Help us to hate lies and to keep our 
thoughts free from every deceit. And when it seems as though a little 
falsehood would not be noticed by anybody, then give us strength to 
hold fast to the truth. 

And this we ask for Christ's sake. Amen. 

Vacation Thoughts 

We are all going to have a vacation. Most of us are soon going 
away off somewhere where woods and hills and flowers, or the wash of 
the tide on the sand, are calling us to come. But did you ever stop to 
think that there is one thing that we can never take a vacation from ? 
We can take a vacation from day school and Sunday school, from busi- 
ness, from the noise and dust of city streets, from our city homes; but 
we can't escape from living ! and from living with other people. We 
always have playmates, and we usually have our mothers and fathers 



LOYALTY 123 

with us. There are always visitors and strangers and the people who 
run things. And we would not want it otherwise. It would be horribly 
lonesome if we had to go off somewhere all by ourselves. Wouldn't it? 

Living is just like a great contest or game, or many games, one 
right after the other, like the seasons in athletics. In the spring and 
summer we have baseball and marbles. In the fall comes football. 
Then, when it is cold, we have basket-ball and hockey; and by that 
time baseball has come 'round again. And so it is in living. We no 
sooner win one victory than we are off again trying to win another. 
Only in life, we are doing all the playing. We are not just looking on 
and watching somebody else play. 

Did you ever stop to think what it means to play on a big team? 
I'll tell you one thing it means. It means training. If you want to 
play on a school team, whether to run a quarter-mile, or to row an oar on 
a crew, or to play short-stop on a baseball nine, you've got to keep in 
training. And that just means keeping yourself in such perfect con- 
dition that you will always know your game, and play it well, and will 
not get weak at a critical moment. It means eating good, wholesome 
food — no candy, no sodas — going to bed early and getting up early, 
practising your game or stunt every day and trying to improve all the 
time. Tt's hard work, but it pays. For you always are strong and 
well and fit for the contest. 

Just the other day I heard about what happened to a team, one 
member of which had failed to keep in training. I don't remember 
the name of the school. They had been getting ready for the final 
game of the season, which was with another school of about the same 
size. So far they had won every game, and things were going splen- 
didly. But this last game was the hardest of all, and they needed 
every bit of strength they could muster. Finally the day came and the 
two teams lined up. Neither side could make any headway against 
the other till, all at once, one of the men began to give out. He had 
never done so before, and he was one of the best players. They just 
couldn't get along without him. But he got weaker and weaker, and the 
other team began to get the advantage. 

The coach had suspected what the matter was all the time. Can 
you guess ? That man had broken training ! He had taken a vacation 



124 LOYALTY 

from training before the season was over, and the game was lost because 
one man was not able to do his best at the critical moment. 

The season of life's game is never over. Life is a game we never 
stop playing. And it's the hardest and most fascinating game in the 
world. It needs every ounce of strength and knowledge and self- 
control that we can muster. Whether we are in the city, or on the coast 
of Maine, or up in the Adirondacks, it's all the same game. Don't 
break training. At Sunday school you have learned what it means to 
worship God every Sunday morning, to think about His kindness. 
You have learned to appreciate the lives of men and women who have 
made God their friend, and to help one another in work and in play. 
You have been learning how to play the game of life, and you have come 
to love your Captain, Jesus Christ. Don't break training. 

No matter where you are or what you are doing, you are always 
members of the family whose name you bear; you are always members 

of the Sunday school; you are always sons and daughters of your 

Heavenly Father. And your team-mates ? Why, they are — all the chil- 
dren of God. 

PRAYER 

O God, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for our fellowship with 
one another during these many happy months. The days have seemed 
so short for all that we have wanted to talk about together. Thou hast 
given us so many things that we have never even spoken of and which 
we have not yet come to understand as we would like to. But we know 
that life itself is stretching out before us like a path of gold through 
the City of God. And we shall march ever onward and upward, learn- 
ing day by day about the world through which we pass, growing stronger 
and wiser and more useful. 

We are glad that we do not have to go along our way alone, but 
that wherever we turn there are hands stretched out to help us and 
friends to talk with and to love. And Thou, Father, art always with 
us, urging us on to do our best, sorrowing in our sorrow, rejoicing in our 

joy- 
Keep us faithful, O Father, to all that we have learned in our year 
together. May we not forget to talk with Thee often. May we not 



LOYALTY 125 

forget that Thou hast entrusted to us a part of Thy great task of making 
people happy and well and of spreading Thy Kingdom of Righteousness 
through all the earth. 

Keep us safely through the summer days, and by and by, in Thy 
good time, may we come together again to renew our fellowship with 
one another. 

And this we ask in the name of our Master and our Friend, Jesus 
Christ. Amen. 



XII 
ORDERS OF SERVICE 

The following orders of service are offered as illustrations of the 
application of the principles of children's worship mentioned in the 
earlier sections of this book and worked out in detail in the writer's 
Worship in the Sunday School (Teachers College, Columbia University). 
It is not intended that they shall be regarded as final or perfectly adapted 
to every situation. They have produced satisfactory results from the 
point of view of education in worship. They represent long experience 
and a thoroughgoing scientific study of worship. Many of them have 
been used, with and without slight changes, in schools of the average 
character and have been found satisfactory. One cannot go far wrong, 
therefore, in taking any one of them. When changes are made, it is 
hoped that they may be made in the same scientific spirit in which the 
original orders were produced and not simply for the sake of being 
different. 

In order that the organization and conduct of the worship may 
be clearly understood, a few services, Nos. 1 to 5, are here printed 
complete, showing the material used and the details of transition from 
one item to the next. Otherwise no references are given to story 
material or hymns, in order that it may be easy to make use of the dif- 
ferent orders with different themes. The classification of all material 
under suitable headings is a help in planning the service. 

A few services are given for special occasions. The suggestions as 
to stories, etc., may or may not be adopted, but care should be taken to 
maintain the transitions provided for. 



126 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 127 



Special Notes 

1. Heavy figures refer to pages in The Book of Worship. 

2. Light figures refer to pages in the Manual. 

3. It is usually better to play all hymns through once, whether they are an- 
nounced or not. This is often sufficient announcement to make of familiar hymns, 
when the numbers are posted. 

4. The singing is done best when the children are standing. It is well to 
accustom the teachers and children to rising at some regular time, such as the 
beginning of the next to the last line. 

5. The first five services illustrate how to construct the worship about various 
themes. 



Complete Services 
1. Theme: Gratitude 

1. Processional Hymn, "Rejoice, ye pure in heart," p. 122. 

The school enters, takes part in the hymn, and remains standing as the 
leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

2. The Lord's Prayer, the choir singing the Amen. 

Still standing, the school then sings, without announcement: 

3. The Doxology. (Only the first line need be played.) 

The school is then seated and bowed during the 

4. Sentence by the choir, sung softly: 

"The Lord is in His holy temple, 
Let all the earth keep silence before Him." P. 155. 

The school continues with heads bowed, and the leader says: "Let us 
pray." Then follows: 

5. The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Gratitude," p. 5, the choir singing the 

Amen. 

6. Hymn, "We plough the fields and scatter," p. 58. 

7. Story, "What Bradley Owed," p. 35. 

At the close of the story the leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

8. The Leader's Prayer, p. 36, the choir singing the Amen. 

9. Recessional Hymn, "For the beauty of the earth," p. 48. 



128 ORDERS OF SERVICE 



2. Theme: Goodwill 

1. Instrumental Prelude. 

At the close of the prelude the leader shall rise and read, with the school: 

2. The Call to Worship, p. 3, No. 1. 

3. The Lord's Prayer, the choir singing the Amen. 

4. A Psalm of Goodwill, p. 32. 

The school is then seated as the choir sings: 

5. The Sentence by the Choir (see p. 155/.). 

At the close of the sentence the leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

6. The Unison Prayer, " A Prayer of Goodwill," p. 6, the choir singing the Amen. 

7. Hymn, "While shepherds watched their flocks," p. 86, or another. 

8. Story, "The Banyan Deer" (see list of stories, p. 29). 

At the end of the story the leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

9. The Leader's Prayer, the school singing the Amen. 

10. Hymn, "Joy to the world," p. 80. 

11. Benediction. 



3. Theme: Reverence 

1. Call to Worship, p. 145. 

2. Opening Stanza, sung by the school, standing, p. 154: 

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." 

The leader now says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

3. The Lord's Prayer, with or without an Amen sung by the school. 

The school is then seated, while the leader reads: 

4. Scripture Lesson. Matt. 5 : 1, 2, 8; 7 : 16b-18; 12 : 33, 34b, 35. Phil. 4 : 8. 

5. Hymn, "Lord of all life," p. 102. 

6. Story, "The Great Stone Face," p. 68. 

At the close of the story the leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

7. The Leader's Prayer, with or without the Amen sung by the school. 

8. Hymn, "The King of love," p. 99. 

9. A Closing Prayer by the Leader, p. 150, or the Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of 

Reverence," p. 7. 
10. Benediction sung by the school, p. 158 /., or one of the Unison Benedictions, 
p. 16. 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 129 

4. Theme: Faith 

1. Prelude. 

At the close of the prelude the organist plays the music of the first hymn. 
Then the leader reads: 

2. The Call to Worship, p. 145. 

Then follows at once: 

3. Hymn, "Come, my soul, thou must be waking," p. 135. 

The leader then says, "Let us pray," and the school, still standing, re- 
peats: 

4. The Lord's Prayer, the choir singing the Amen. 

The school is then seated as the leader or an older pupil reads: 

5. The Scripture Lesson. Matt. 17 : 14-21. 

6. Story, "Faith in Oneself," p. 96. 

7. The Leader's Prayer, the school singing the Amen. 

8. Hymn, "O God, who workest hitherto," p. 142, standing. 

The school is then seated as the choir sings: 

9. The Choir Sentence, p. 155: 

"O Father hear us, and answer our prayer." 

At the close of the sentence the leader says, "Let us pray," and then 
follows : 

10. The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Faith," p. 8, with choir Amen. 

11. Hymn, "Fight the good fight." 

12. Benediction, or closing prayer. 



5. Theme: Loyalty 

1. Processional Hymn, "Lead on, O King Eternal." 

2. Psalm, p. 40. 

As the school still stands the leader says: "Let us pray." Then follows: 

3. The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Loyalty," p. 9. 

The school is then seated during the 

4. Story, "Daniel's Loyalty," p. 119. 

5. Leader's Prayer, followed by the Lord's Prayer. 

6. Hymn, "Faith of our fathers," p. 136. 

7. Offertory Sentence, p. 146. 

8. The Offering Received. 

9. The Dedication, Unison, p. 157, or Prayer, p. 150. 
10. Recessional Hymn, "Fight the good fight." 

The above program can be used without the processional and recessional hymns 
by preceding the processional with a call to worship and by adding a benediction 
or closing prayer after the last hymn, No. 10. 



130 ORDERS OF SERVICE 

Miscellaneous Orders of Worship 

for use with any theme 

/. To be used where there is a choir, and when processional and reces- 
sional hymns are desired. 

6 
Processional Hymn 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Doxology Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, heads bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, heads bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated 

Recessional Hymn 

7 
Processional Hymn 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Opening Stanza, "Holy, holy, holy," p. 154 Standing 

Choir Response, "Holy, holy, holy," p. 156 Seated, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

8 
Processional Hymn 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Opening Stanza, "Holy, holy, holy," p. 154 Standing 

Choir Response, "Holy, holy, holy," p. 156 . . . . Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Anthem by the Choir (for Thanksgiving, etc.) Seated 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Leader's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 131 

9 

Processional Hymn 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen ........ Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) . Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir or School Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



10 
Processional Hymn 

The Doxology Standing 

Psalm, unison or responsive . ■ Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed. 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn . . Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



11 

Processional Hymn 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen . Standing 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



12 

Processional Hymn 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, School or Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



132 ORDERS OF SERVICE 



13 

Processional Hymn 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

14 
Processional Hymn 

Greeting (see "Calls to Worship," p. 3, No. 1) Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir or School Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

15 
Processional Hymn 

Greeting (see "Calls to Worship," p. 3, No. 1) . Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Doxology Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 133 



16 
Processional Hymn 

Greeting (see ''Calls to Worship," p. 3, No. 1) Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Doxology Standing 

Anthem (for Thanksgiving, etc.) Seated 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, Choir or School Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn *. Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

17 

Processional Hymn 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

Unison Prayer Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Silence . . . . . Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen . Standing 

Benediction Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

18 
Processional Hymn 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Opening Stanza, "Holy, holy, holy" Standing 

Choir Response, "Holy, holy, holy" Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Story (or organ) Seated 

Leader's Prayer, School Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen ......... Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 



134 ORDERS OF SERVICE 

19 
Processional Hymn 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

The Lord's Prayer, Choir Amen Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Story Seated 

Leader's Prayer, School Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Choir Sentence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Unison Prayer, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Benediction, Choir Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Recessional Hymn 

II. To be used where there is a choir, but when processional and reces- 
sional hymns are not desired. 

Practically all of the services just given can be readily adapted to 
this situation by preceding the first hymn by a call to worship, and by 
adding a benediction by the school or by the leader, or a unison prayer 
by the school or by the leader, at the close. See Services Nos. 2, 3, and 4. 

III. To be used where there is no choir. 

See Services Nos. 3 and 5. The sentences suggested for the choir 
can also be used by the whole school. When this is done, and also the 
suggestion just made under II is adopted, then most of the services 
printed above under I become available in this situation. A few others 
are given : 

20 

Instrumental Prelude 

Call to Worship, p. 145 Standing 

A Doxology or one stanza of a hymn of praise Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Psalm, read responsively Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Story, or organ solo Seated 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Response, p. 155, No. 3, by the school Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Offertory Sentence, p. 146 Seated 

The Offering Received Seated 

Offertory Prayer, sung by the school, p. 157 Seated 

Hymn 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 135 



21 

Opening Sentence, sung by the school, preferably kneeling, p. 3 

A Unison Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

A Doxology, p. 153 /. Standing 

Scripture Lesson . Seated 

Story Seated 

Hymn ....'. Standing 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

The Lord's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Benediction, or Closing Prayer Standing 



22 

A Doxology, introduced by being played through Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Story, or organ solo Seated 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Closing Unison Prayer or Benediction Standing 



23 

Call to Worship, p. 3 Standing 

Psalm, unison or responsive Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Story, or organ solo Seated 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

The Amen to be followed by a few soft chords, indicating: 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

A Unison Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn 



136 ORDERS OF SERVICE 

IV. To be used when there is to be no story told. 

In orders of service Nos. 1, 2, 5-7, 9-12, 17, 20, 23 a Scripture Lesson 
can be used in place of the Story. The adaptations suggested above 
under II and III apply here also. A few additional orders follow: 



24 

Prelude, during which the pupils come in quietly and take their places, making 
use of a moment of silent prayer before the beginning of the service. The 
Prelude ends with the first hymn played through once. This is then sung 
without announcement, the school rising with the leaders at the next to the 
last line. 

Hymn Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Psalm, read responsively Seated 

A Unison Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

The Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

(A short prayer may be used, pp. 148 /.) 

Hymn Standing 

Postlude, played while the classes go to their places 



25 
Call to Worship, p. 3 or 145 

A Doxology Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Scripture Lesson Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

(Varied by the use of guided silent prayer. See p. 79) 

Psalm, responsive or unison Seated 

Hymn Standing 

Benediction Standing 

26 
Call to Worship, p. 145 

Commandments, p. 24 Standing 

Response by the School or Choir , Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

Scripture or Poem Seated 

Leader's Prayer Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Hymn Standing 

Benediction Standing 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 137 



Opening and Closing Services 

For use not as complete services of worship but as devotional moments 
to precede the lesson when the worship is at the end of the school ses- 
sion, or to close the session when the worship is at the beginning. 

I. OPENING 

27 

Greeting, p. 3, No. 1 Standing 

The Lord's Prayer Standing 

A Doxology or Hymn . Standing 

A Short Prayer, pp. 148 jf. Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Class Sessions 

28 
Call to Worship 

Hymn of Praise Standing 

Sentence by School or Choir Seated or kneeling, bowed 

"The Lord is in His holy temple" 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Instrumental Amen Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Class Sessions 

29 

Opening Sentence, sung by the school, p. 155 . . . Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Silence Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Offertory Sentence Seated 

Offering Received Seated 

Prayer of Dedication, sung by school, p. 157 Standing 

or made by leader, p. 150 Seated or kneeling, bowed 

Class Sessions 

II. CLOSING 

30 

Instrumental Selection, during which the classes quietly take their places for the 

closing exercises 
Reports and Notices 
Special Class Reports 
Special Exercises 

Hymn, selected by a class, a different class choosing each Sunday 
Short Leader's Prayer, pp. 148 /. 
Benediction, by leader or school 



138 ORDERS OF SERVICE 



31 

Business Meeting 

Closing Hymn, as p. 160 /. 

Benediction, as p. 16 



32 

Hymn, selected by a class, a different class choosing each Sunday 

Business 

Musical Benediction, p. 158/. 



Special Occasions* 
christmas 



1. Processional Hymn, "It came upon the midnight clear" 

2. The Lord's Prayer 

3. The Doxology 

4. Sentence by the Choir, the school seated, "The Lord is in His holy temple " 

5. The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Goodwill" 

6. Psalm 100, p. 27, in unison 

7. Song, "Martin Luther's Cradle Song," by some of the younger children 

8. Scripture Lesson, from Luke 2 

9. Hymn, "O little town of Bethlehem" 

10. A Christmas Story 

11. Vocal Solo, for soprano, "Cantique de Noel" Adam 

12. Carol, "The First Noel," p. 84, by the school 

13. Carol, "The Midnight Masse," by a choir of children Legge 

14. Hymn, "While shepherds watched their flocks" 

15. Organ Solo, "March and Chorus," from "Tannhauser" 

16. Leader's Prayer 

17. Recessional, "Joy to the world" 

* In order to adapt these "services for special occasions" to other situations, changes 
can easily be made in them as is suggested on pp. 134 and 136. 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 139 



CHRISTMAS 
II 

The Spirit of Christmas 

Processional Hyrnn, "It came upon the midnight clear" 

The Lord's Prayer 

Psalm 100, p. 27 

Sentence by the Choir 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Goodwill" 

The First Christmas 

Hymn, "O little town of Bethlehem," unannounced 

Song Stories, by the Kindergarten, "The First Christmas," and "Christmas 
Night" 

The Shepherds' Song, "Pastoral Symphony" Handel 

Luke 2, read by a child or by the leader 
Hymn, "While shepherds watched their flocks" 

Christmas Songs 

"Away in a Manger," solo by tenor or by a child 

"The First Noel," carol by the school 

"God rest you merry, gentlemen," carol by the choir 

The Message of Christmas 
A Christmas Story 
Leader's Prayer 
Recessional Hymn, "Joy to the world" 



140 ORDERS OF SERVICE 



CHRISTMAS 
III 

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" 

Processional Hymn, "It came upon the midnight clear" 
Greeting : Leader : The Lord be with you 

School : And with thy spirit 

Leader : Let us pray 
The Lord's Prayer 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord " 

The Hope of the World, Isaiah. (Selected passages, see list, p. 24.) Read 

by an older pupil 
The Shepherds' Song, "Pastoral Symphony," organ solo 
The Coming of the Christ, Luke 2 (in part). Recited by a child 
Hymn, "O little town of Bethlehem" 

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them 

concerning this child" 

Cradle Song, "Away in a manger," Kindergarten 

Carols, "Infant so Gentle," "Good Christian Men, Rejoice," by the choir 

A Christmas Story 

Leader's Prayer 

Sentence by the Choir 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Goodwill," or "For all Conditions of Men," 

p. 11 
Benediction 
Recessional Hymn, "Joy to the world" 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 141 



EASTER* 



Processional Hymn, "Fight the good fight" 

The Lord's Prayer 

Scripture Lesson, Phil. 3 : 8-14; 4 : 4-9 

Song by a younger class 

Carol by the Choir 

Hymn, "The day of resurrection" 

Story (see "Easter Stories," under "Faith," pp. 82/.) 

Hymn, "Immortal Love" 

Leader's Prayer 

Sentence by the Choir : 

"The Lord is in His holy temple, 
Let all the earth keep silence before Him" 
Silence 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Faith," Choir Amen 
Benediction, Choir Amen 
Recessional Hymn, " Christ the Lord is ris'n to-day" 



II 

Processional Hymn, "The day of resurrection" 

The Lord's Prayer 

Sentence by the Choir, "O Father, hear us," p. 155 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Faith" 

Hymn, "Immortal Love" 

Song by a younger class 

Carol by the Choir, "Sing We Now Our Hymns of Gladness" 

Carol by the School, "Ring Ye Bells of Easter Day" 

Story (see "Easter Stories," under " Faith," pp. 82 Jf.) 

Leader's Prayer 

Recessional Hymn, "Christ the Lord is ris'n to-day" 

Organ Postlude, "The Hallelujah Chorus" 

* The services here suggested are made short so as not to interfere with the regular class 
sessions. 



142 ORDERS OF SERVICE 

EASTER 

III 

Processional Hymn, " Christ the Lord is ris'n to-day" 

Psalm 27, p. 39 

The Lord's Prayer 

Hymn, "The Song of Easter," p. 123 

Carol by a younger class 

Scripture Lesson, John 14 : 1-10, 15, 27 

Anthem by the Choir, "Hail the Morn of Mystic Beauty" 

Story, "The Game of Life," p. 108 

Leader's Prayer 

Hymn, "Ten thousand times ten thousand" 

Sentence by the Choir 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Faith" 

Benediction 

Recessional Hymn, " Fight the good fight" 

Organ Postlude 



ANNIVERSARY, COMMENCEMENT, OR CHILDREN'S DAY* 



Processional Hymn, "Lead on, King eternal" 

The Lord's Prayer 

Psalm 24, p. 40 

Sentence by the Choir, "The Lord is in His holy temple," p. 155 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Faith" 

Song by the Choir, "Sabbath Bells" 

Scripture Lesson, James 1 : 12-14, 17-25 

Song by the Kindergarten (or some other class) 

Talk, "The Meaning of Church Membership" 

Hymn, "Fight the good fight" 

Vacation Thoughts, p. 122 

Organ Solo, "The Pilgrims' Chorus" 

Leader's Prayer 

Recessional Hymn, "We've a story to tell to the nations " 

* These anniversary services leave time for other matters likely to come up at the end of 
the year, as, e. g., an annual exhibit of the children's work. 



ORDERS OF SERVICE 143 



ANNIVERSARY, COMMENCEMENT, OR CHILDREN S DAY 

II 

Processional Hymn, " Light of the world" 

Psalm 121, p. 34 

The Lord's Prayer 

Scripture Lesson, Matt. 4 : 17-25 

Song by the Choir, " Incline Thine Ear" 

Talk, "What the Church Means to Us" 

Hymn, " We've a story to tell to the nations" 

Song by a younger class, "A Song of Spring" 

Organ Solo 

Leader's Prayer 

Sentence by the Choir, "The Lord is in His holy temple" 

Silence 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Loyalty" 

Benediction 

Recessional Hymn, "Fight the good fight" 



III 

Processional Hymn, "Lead on, O King Eternal" 

Psalm 121, p. 34 

The Lord's Prayer 

Anthem by the Choir 

Scripture Lesson, I Cor. 13 

Hymn, "The King of love my Shepherd is" 

Talk to the Graduating Classes 

Presentation of Diplomas 

Leader's Prayer 

Hymn, "Fight the good fight" 

Sentence by the Choir, "The Lord is in His holy temple" 

Silence 

The Unison Prayer, "A Prayer of Loyalty" 

Benediction 

Recessional Hymn, "We've a story to tell to the nations" 



144 ORDERS OF SERVICE 



ANNIVERSARY, COMMENCEMENT, OR CHILDREN'S DAY 

IV 

CHURCH SERVICE FOR CHILDREN'S DAY* 

Organ Prelude 

Processional Hymn, the congregation standing as the school enters 

Call to Worship 

Invocation 

The Lord's Prayer 

Hymn 

Psalm 23, in unison 

Gloria Patri 

Anthem, " There's a Friend for Little Children " Warren 

Scripture Lesson 

Song by the Primary Department, "All Things Beautiful and Fair" 

Prayer and Choir Response 

Offertory, "When His Salvation Bringing" Tours 

Song by the Primary Department, "The Father's Care" 

Story, "The Search for a Good Child" Lindsay 

Soprano Solo, "Song of the Knights and the Child" 

Presentation of Bibles 

Hymn 

Prayer 

Unison Benediction 

* Used at Center Church, New Haven, June n, 1911. 



XIII 

SENTENCES 



CALLS TO WORSHIP* 



I will bless the Lord at all times; 

His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
magnify the Lord with me, 

And let us exalt His name together. 

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name; 
Make known His deeds among the people; 
Talk ye of His wondrous works. 
Glory ye in His holy name. 

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our 

Maker. 
For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep 

of His hand. 

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise., 

O go your way into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts 

with praise. 
Be thankful unto Him, and speak good of His name. 

For the Lord is good; His kindness endure th forever, 

And His faithfulness unto all generations. 

* 

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the 

Lord Jesus Christ. 

* Other appropriate calls to worship will be found in the psalms in The Book of Worship. 

145 



146 SENTENCES 

OFFERTORY 

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more 
blessed to give than to receive. 

Freely ye have received, freely give. 

Take ye up from among you an offering unto the Lord. Whoso- 
ever is of a willing heart, let him bring it. 

Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so 
to them. 



XIV 
PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 

The Beginning or Worship 

FOR GRACE 

1 

Lord, our Heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who 
hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day ; defend us in the same 
with Thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, 
neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings, being 
ordered by Thy governance, may be righteous in Thy sight; through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, 
and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts 
by the inspiration of Thy holy spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, 
and worthily magnify Thy holy name; through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



almighty God, from whom cometh down every good and perfect 
gift, and who pourest out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and 
supplication; deliver us, when we draw nigh unto Thee, from coldness 
of heart and wanderings of mind; that with steadfast thoughts and 
kindled affections we may worship Thee in spirit and in truth; through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

147 



148 PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 



Lord our God, great, eternal, wonderful in glory, who keepest cove- 
nant and promises for those that love Thee with their whole heart; 
who art the life of all, the help of those that flee unto Thee, the hope 
of those who cry unto Thee; cleanse us from our sins secret and open, 
and from every thought displeasing to Thy goodness ; cleanse our bodies 
and souls, our hearts and consciences, that with a pure heart and a 
clear soul, with perfect love and calm hope, we may venture confidently 
and fearlessly to pray unto Thee. Amen. 



Lord God, Father of mercies, the Fountain of comfort and bless- 
ing, who nllest heaven with Thy glory, and earth with Thy goodness: 
we offer Thee most earnest and humble thanks for the gifts of nature, 
and of grace, the support of every moment, and the comforts of every 
day. We beseech Thee to fill our hearts with Thy praise, that our thank- 
fulness to Thee may be great as our needs, and that Thy grace may so 
strengthen our purposes that our lives may be a thank-offering to Thee, 
unto whom we ascribe all honor and glory. Amen. 



Special Prayers 
for right-mindedness 



O God, the Father almighty, grant us to have in Thee the light of 
knowledge, and the fulness of all virtue, that, while we seek for the 
precious gifts of knowledge, we may never depart from Thee, who art 
the fountain of all wisdom. Amen. 



PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 149 

7 

Lord, our light and our salvation; remove from us the darkness 
of sorrow and of ignorance, enlighten us with true wisdom, and give us 
ever a sure hope in Thee. Amen. 



8 

Show the light of Thy countenance upon us, Lord, that the going 
forth of Thy word may give light and understanding, to nourish hearts 
that are simple; and that while our desire is set on Thy commandments, 
we may receive with open heart the spirit of wisdom and understand- 
ing; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



9 

FOR LOVE 

O God, who hast prepared for those who love Thee such good things 
as pass man's understanding; pour into our hearts such love toward 
Thee, that we, loving Thee above all things, may obtain Thy promises, 
which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Amen. 



10 

FOR TRUST 

most loving Father, who wiliest us to give thanks for all things, 
to dread nothing but the loss of Thee, and to cast all our cares on Thee 
who carest for us; preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, 
and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light 
of that love which evermore dwells in Thee, and which Thou hast mani- 
fested to us in Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



150 PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 

11 

FOR ALL ENGAGED IN ARDUOUS WORK 

God, at whose word man goeth forth unto his work and to his 
labor until the evening; be merciful to all whose duties are difficult or 
burdensome, and comfort them concerning their toil. Shield from 
bodily accident and harm the workmen at their work. Protect the 
efforts of sober and honest industry, and surfer not the hire of the 
laborers to be kept back by fraud. Incline the hearts of employers 
and of those whom they employ to mutual forbearance, fairness, and 
goodwill. Show Thy pity upon all prisoners and captives. Uphold 
those who administer justice and execute righteous laws. Protect all 
who travel by land or by sea. Care for the sailor, the emigrant, and the 
stranger. Bless those who labor in works of mercy and in schools of 
good learning. Give wisdom and grace to all parents. Send forth 
laborers into Thy harvest; and defend by Thy mighty power, and 
abundantly prosper, all missionaries of the Cross. Give ear unto our 
prayer, merciful and gracious Father, for the love of Thy dear Son, 
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

12 

AFTER THE OFFERING 

Thou who art the giver of every good and perfect gift, accept 
we pray Thee, for the service of Thy Kingdom, that which we bring of 
our own, and grant that in our giving we may not withhold that which 
Thou dost most desire — the consecration of our lives, and the presen- 
tation of our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Thee, 
as our spiritual service. In the name of him who gave himself for 
us. Amen. 

The Close of Worship 

13 

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do al- 
ways such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is 
good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy 
will; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 151 

14 

God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee; 
mercifully grant that Thy holy spirit may in all things direct and rule 
our hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



15 

almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affec- 
tions of sinful men ; grant unto Thy people that they may love the thing 
which Thou commandest, and desire that which Thou dost promise; 
that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts 
may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



16 

O Lord, from whom all good things do come ; grant to us Thy humble 
servants, that by Thy holy inspiration we may think those things that 
are good, and by Thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 



17 

God, the strength of all those who put their trust in Thee; merci- 
fully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our 
mortal nature, we can do no good thing without Thee, grant us the help 
of Thy grace, that in keeping Thy commandments we may please Thee 
both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



18 

O almighty and most merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness 
keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, 
being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those 
things which Thou commandest; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



152 PRAYERS AND COLLECTS 

19 

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious favor, 
and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, 
continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy holy name, and 
finally, by Thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. 

20 

A PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM 

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord 
to make our common supplications unto Thee; and dost promise that 
when two or three are gathered together in Thy name Thou wilt grant 
their requests; fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy 
children, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world 
knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen. 



XV 



BENEDICTIONS 

Now unto our God and Father be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

The Lord bless us and keep us; 

The Lord make His face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us; 

The Lord lift up His countenance upon us, and give us peace. Amen. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us and with all the chil- 
dren of men, for ever. Amen. 

■* 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the 
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 

Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good thing to do 
His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord 
Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, make you perfect in every good 
work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His 
sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. 

Amen. 

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all 
that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto 
Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, unto all genera- 
tions, for ever and ever. Amen. 

153 



154 BENEDICTIONS 

Now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present 
us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the 
only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
both now and ever. Amen. 

The peace of God, which passe th all understanding, keep your hearts 
and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your 
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, 
Jesus Christ, our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you 
always. Amen. 

May the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, that peace 
which the world can neither give nor take away, be with us now, and 
abide in our hearts for evermore. Amen. 



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